


Free Sailing

by JayBirdVanna



Series: Adventures of Aries the Sheep [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 12:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11081709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayBirdVanna/pseuds/JayBirdVanna
Summary: Aries is a teenage girl who is a slave on a pirate ship. She has been a slave since she was nine years old. Devil Fruit users go for high prices in the slave auctions, ya know. Sadly, she doesn't know how to use her devil fruit powers. Being locked up all the time and being under constant watch didn't really leave a lot of time for practice. The only thing that gives her hope is the monthly fights for her freedom. If she can beat the first mate in a boxing match, the mysterious captain of the Coyote Ugly Pirates promised to free her from her slavery. But, in the 4 years of her servitude under a captain she has never seen, she hasn't gotten any closer to winning. Maybe the appearance of the boy with the highest bounty in the East Blue will change things.  Maybe she finally has a shot at freedom.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I started posting this story on ff.net waaayyy back in 2013. And I just recently started spending more time here on AO3, so why not post it here as well.

**Chapter One**   
**The Difference between Slavery and Freedom**

The sound of rustling chains and loud waves woke the tired girl from her sleep. The girl lifted her head to look out the bars of her cell. Her light blonde hair matted and tangled in front of her face, blocking most of her line of sight. Her eyes felt dry and all she wanted was to go back to sleep, but the bright light of the afternoon sun cast a strip of sunlight directly along the right side of her body. Light footsteps creaked along the rough wooden planks of the hallway, and stopped outside her cell. The heavy grate door opened and someone walked up to her.

"Hey... You awake?" The voice whispered gently.

The girl turned her head towards the person, wishing her hands were free of her binds so she could push her matted hair out of her eyes. As if reading her mind, the newcomer pushed her hair away from her face. Before the girl was a young looking man with slicked back hair, though it was covered by the crew's mandatory red bandanna, and a large x shaped scar on his left cheek. His eyes were a light shade of golden brown. He wore a dark suit jacket with no shirt under it, exposing his bare chest, and matching pants.

"We arrived at a new island. You should eat something before they come down to get you ready. Here, let's get you out of these cuffs." The man leaned over her and unlocked the chains that held her arms above her head. As soon as the restrictions were free, the girl's dark blue eyes seemed to come back alive.

She whispered words of thanks as she ran her fingers through her tangled mane, taking care to not get the strands wrapped around the spiral horns protruding from the sides of her head. The fleece arm warmers that covered her hands all the way too above her elbows felt scratchy as the filthy material brushed against her cheeks.

The man held out a small loaf of bread and a canister of water. The blonde gave him a weak smile before nibbling on the bread. She took a small gulp of water, the cool liquid feeling good against her dry throat. "W-which island are we on now, Oki?"

His sharp golden eyes looked over her weak form. She was a young girl about age sixteen with naturally wavy light blonde hair that fell to about her mid back, although now he could tell that her hair hadn't been washed in a while seeing as it was greasy and pieces were crusted together with what looked like dried blood. Her eyes were a deep dark blue that mimicked the color of the sea, but in the darkness of the cell, they may as well have been black. She was wearing what was once a dress, but now resembled a dirty sack. Her legs were bare and covered in dirt smudges and tiny scratches.

"It's a merchant island called Bazaar Island. I gotta go. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer Aries." Oki patted her on the head, took the water canister from her hand, and darted out of the cell after closing the large door.

Aries sighed to herself as she moved away from the shackles that held her to the wall. She knew it wouldn't be long until the prep team came down to prepare her for the new auction. She leaned her head back against the wooden wall of her cell, the waves rocking the large boat. Tears gathered behind her eyelids. She could feel the warm liquid spill out and flow down her cheeks. She let her head fall forward, chin almost resting on her chest. Her greasy hair moved with her sudden movement, some pieces sticking to the fresh tears along her face.

"When will this nightmare be over?"

 

* * *

 

The warm summer breeze drifted over the deck of the Going Merry. The Straw Hat crew was up to its normal rowdiness. Nami was beating Luffy over the head with her newspaper. The captain was still so excited about his new bounty poster. His grin still stretched across his lips. Zoro, the crew's first mate, had drifted off back into his nap. Sanji, the crew's cook and newest official member, was busy in the kitchen preparing lunch. And Usopp the sniper was attempting to fish for dinner, but getting no bites.

"A 30 million beli bounty is nothing to be happy over, Luffy! Stronger opponents are gonna come after us now!" the navigator yelled shrilly as she hit her captain once more over the head.

The dark-haired boy rubbed his head, his grin changing into a childish pout. "So?"

Nami growled and went to hit him again when the blonde cook interrupted. "Luffy! Did you eat ALL the food in the kitchen last night?!" The cook's voice was angry, his visible eye glared darkly at the rubber boy.

The idiot captain turned his head to the side, sticking his pinky up his nose. "Yep."

Sanji smashed his heel down on top of the captain's head. "Damn it, Luffy! That food was supposed to last until we made it to Logue Town!" He ran one hand through his hair before lighting another cigarette. "Nami, my dear, we are going to have to stop to restock unless Usopp can actually catch something."

Nami also hit the captain before turning to the long-nosed boy. "Any luck?"

Usopp shook his head, his black curly hair bouncing with his movement. "Nope. Not a single bite. The fish in these waters must not like the bait we have."

Nami growled again and walked inside the storage room and down the steps into the girls' quarters. She returned to the deck with a map of the East Blue. She stared at it for a few moments before pointing to a rather large island towards the south. "We aren't far from Bazaar Island. It isn't off course at all and it’s famous for its markets. We'll stop there."

Usopp jumped up, put his fishing gear away, and ran to move the rudder according to Nami's orders.

Luffy stretched his arms and launched himself on the Going Merry's ram head. "Alright! To a new island!"


	2. Chapter Two

** Chapter Two **

** Sold and Saved **

 

Aries lifted her head as a group of female pirates entered her cell.  They were large women with thick arm muscles.  She knew that they could easily stop her if she were to try and escape.  Too bad she just didn't have the energy to fight back anymore.  They easily hoisted the teen to her feet and drug her out of the dungeon part of the ship before coming to the prep room.  The ladies stripped her, then tossed her in the shower, before preparing her usual costume for the auction.  The blonde girl washed herself with the fresh smelling soap and washed her greasy hair for the first time in weeks.  She finished quickly and took a towel from one of the prep team.

 

The blonde girl slowly slipped on her strapless fleece dress, the soft material warm and familiar against her skin.  Next was her pale blue knee high socks and fleece legwarmers.  Finally, she put on her fleece arm warmers and her brown lace-up boots.  One of the larger women pushed her down in a chair and the team started putting on her makeup and doing her hair.

 

After a few minutes, they finished dolling the young girl up.  Slowly, Aries turned to look in the mirror that hung in the room.  For this auction, they had curled her hair into bigger waves and pulled the blonde tresses into a side ponytail that started just under her spiral horn.  Her makeup was very natural and light.  She stared at her reflection with an emotionless face, eyes void of any feelings.   The female pirates pulled her back onto her feet and tied her hands behind her back.  The largest woman gave her a rough shove and led her out into the hall.

 

At the top of the steps that lead out to the deck stood a tall man.  His skin was tan from a life on the seas and his arms were littered with scars.  His hair was short against his head and the same woody brown as the planks of the ship.  But it was his eyes that scared Aries.  His irises were tiny and black.  His gaze felt so sharp she thought it would cut her.  This was number three on her list of most frightening men, Shin.  He was the first mate of the captain that held her prisoner.

 

"Off to another auction then, eh Lamb?"  His words were slurred.  Not surprising seeing as he was never sober.

 

She cast her eyes away, chills shooting across her skin.  The drunk let out a loud laugh and started to walk away.  "I might be a little late coming to get you this time!  Gotta make the most of the bars while we're on land, ya know?!  But don't worry, I'll come get ya eventually!"  He laughed louder and entered the town.  The blonde girl shuddered and clenched her fists, her wrists straining against her rope bindings.

 

The walk off the ship and through town was a blur to the blonde teen.  She had kept her eyes on the pirate in front of her, but she wasn't really seeing anything.  She had retreated into the depths of her mind, wishing for her freedom.  When she finally came back to reality, she was being shoved onto a dimly lit stage.

 

Nervously, she walked forward a few steps before a spotlight shone down on her.  She winced at the sudden bright light, but her eyes adjusted quickly.  The audience was still too dark to make out, but she could feel their evil eyes wandering over her.

 

A loud voice rang out from her left, "Next on our auction list is a devil fruit user!  Her name is Aries the Sheep.  Her fruit powers come from the Wool-Wool Fruit: Ram Model!  Bidding will start at two million beli!"

 

Aries let her head fall, allowing her bangs to hide her eyes, as auctioneer raised her price with every bid.  _Someone please.  Save me._

* * *

 

 

"LAND!"  Luffy shouted from the Going Merry's figure head.  His cheer stirred Zoro, who had been napping against the ship's railing.  The green haired swordsman glared up at his captain, before grunting and closing his eyes again.

 

Nami stood from her chair and started yelling orders to the crew to prepare for docking.  Soon, the caravel was docked at a pier out of the way.  The crew gathered on the deck to listen to Nami's orders.

 

"Alright!  We aren't going to dock here for long!  We are here to get food rations that will last us until we reach Logue Town in a couple of days.  So some of us need to stay with the ship."

 

Sanji slipped his hands in his pockets.  "Well obviously I'm going."  He paused before wiggling towards the orange haired navigator.  "Would you like to come with me, Nami-swan?"

 

Nami took a slight step back.  "I'm staying here and finishing up some maps.  Plus, two of them should go with you to help carry the rations."

 

The captain's hand shot into the air.  "Me! Me!  I wanna go!"  He jumped a little, his grin stretched from ear to ear.

 

The blonde cook sighed in disappointment and ruffled his hair.  "Fine, Luffy.  You can come along."

 

Usopp adjusted the strap of his satchel.  "I'm gonna tag along.  I want to talk to the local fisherman about what bait I should be using."

 

Nami nodded and started making her way back to the helm.  "Then that leaves me and Zoro with the Merry.  Don't stay out too long!  I want to set sail again before dark!"

 

The dark haired captain's grin grew, which Usopp thought was impossible.  He ran and jumped of the railing and onto the wooden dock below.  Sanji and the sniper followed calmly behind their energetic friend.

 

* * *

 

The auction didn't last long.  They never did.  The faster the bidding occurred, the faster the people involved could get out undiscovered by the Marines.  Aries was sitting in the holding cage with a few other girls.  She couldn't remember how much she went for this time, and frankly, she didn't care.  She kept her head down, ignoring the sounds of sobs coming from the room's other occupants, until one of the workers called her name.

 

The young girl lifted her head slowly and peered out from under her bangs.  She could make out three figures on the other side of the bars.  Two of them were auction workers, she could tell by their scent.  They smelled of sweat and perfume.  The third figure must have been the one who won her auction.  The corners of her mouth twitched in disgust.  His scent was a mixture of fatty foods and rose soap.  This time she had caught the eye of a crooked noble.

 

She walked gracefully over to the cage door and let the workers tug her out.  Their grip on her upper arms was hard, but not as painful as the grip from the ladies on her prep team.  She stood in front of her new master, her deep blue eyes hard as stone.  She stared up at his ugly face.  His toothy grin was grotesque.  He pulled a knife from a sheath at his side and cut the ropes that bound her hands behind her back.

 

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.  His knife against her side.  He leaned down and breathed on her neck.  Aries had to force herself not to shudder.  "Let's go home, Aries."

 

The sheep girl tried her hardest not to gag.  His breath reeked.  His mouth was twisted in a snide grin.  He pressed the knife harder against her.  She could feel the sharp blade digging into her skin through the warm fleece of her dress.  She winced and the man dragged her from the building.

  

* * *

 

 

After a few hours of shopping for food (and Sanji beating Luffy for trying to eat it all), the boys were ready to head back to their ship.  Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke into the air.  Both he and Luffy were loaded down with bags of food.  The cook had gotten a little carried away with the shopping.  And now, they had lost Usopp.

 

Sanji groaned and took another drag of his smoke.  "Where the hell did that long nose run off to?  He was right here a few minutes ago."

 

Luffy blinked cluelessly and looked around the fish market.  "Maybe he went back to the Merry."

 

"Or he could be talking to more fishermen about his inability to catch fish."  The cook lit another cigarette, smirking.

 

The black haired boy laughed and shifted the bags he was carrying.  "Yeah, maybe."

 

"Guys!"  The sniper came running up carrying a bag of his own.  "I talked to some fishermen and got some good bait."  He hung his head as he paused.  "But they said that bait is only half our problem.  Apparently, I suck at fishing."

 

Sanji tried hard to choke down his laughter while their captain openly laughed at their poor friend.  "We could've told you that Usopp!"

 

The curly haired coward yelled, "Thanks for the support, Luffy!"

 

Sanji let out a few chuckles as he stamped out his cigarette.  "Let's head back to the ship."

 

The others nodded and they started making their way back to the pier.

 

* * *

 

 

The noble shoved Aries against the wall of an alleyway just off the main strip of the market.  His large hand on her shoulder, keeping her pinned to the stone wall behind her.  He moved his knife to press against her pale neck.  Her eyes widened in fear and her voice was lost in her throat.  The gross man snickered and pressed his nose against the soft flesh of her jaw.

 

"You're prettier than the other girls I've bought.  I think I'll take my time when I have my fun with you.  Too bad I have to kill you when I finish."

 

Her heart dropped into her stomach.  Her eyes watched his every movement.  _No more wishing for a savior.  I have to escape now.  Shin isn't going to save me in time, so I have to do something._

 

She glared at him, her eyes sparkling with her determination.  She growled and smashed her forehead against his, knocking him back.  She pushed off the wall and started to run towards the market, hoping to finally be free.

 

"Oh no you don't!"

 

Suddenly, she felt a hot flash of pain in her left side.  She let out a shriek and looked down to see that the noble had sliced her with his knife.  She quickly placed her hand over the wound, white fleece slowly being stained red.  In her moment of distraction, the noble was able to knock her off her feet and onto the ground.  He loomed over her, angry and ready to kill her.  His eyes were hidden by his oily bangs, but she could feel the heat of his glare on her face.  Fearfully, she rolled over onto her back and sat up, trying to scoot away.

 

"Stay back!  I'm warning you!" she shouted at him, hot tears burning at the corners of her eyes.  She didn't want it to end like this.

 

* * *

 

Sanji turned around, staring at the street behind them.

 

"What's up, Sanji?" Luffy asked from a little bit ahead.

 

"Did you guys hear that scream?"  The cook frowned deeply.

 

"Scream?"  Usopp the coward sunk down closer to the street, knees shaking.

 

"It sounded like a girl."

 

The Straw Hat's captain stuck a finger in his ear.  "I didn't hear anything."

 

"Well I did."  He quickly shoved the bags he was carrying into Usopp's arms before running back down the street.

 

* * *

 

 

The noble stepped closer and sneered.  He pressed a hand against the side of his head.  He was bleeding slightly.  One of her horns must have scratched him.

 

"How dare you attack me and make me bleed!  A noble!  Your master!  Now be a good slave and di-"

 

A swift kick to the face shut him up real quick.  A blonde man in a nice black suit stood over Aries, foot still raised.  "I'm sorry, but any man who hurts a lady doesn't deserve to live."


	3. Chapter Three

** Chapter Three **

** Pirates or Saviors? **

****

Aries watched in awe as the tall, blonde man picked the noble off the ground and clutched the front of his dirty pressed shirt in his fist.  His gaze was harsh.

 

"Harming a beautiful woman is unforgivable," the blonde man spoke through gritted teeth.

 

The sound of footsteps approaching caught the young sheep girl's attention, but she could not tear her eyes away from her savior.  She felt the presence of two people standing on either side of her.

 

"Sanji!  Why did you run off like that?  You dropped my meat!  That wasn't very nice.  I was gonna eat it later," a voice whined to her left.

 

A shriek came from her right and the person crouched down beside her.

 

"You're hurt!  Are you alright?!"  This new voice was laced with worry and concern.  Slowly, Aries tore her dark blue eyes from the sharply dressed blonde, who was now kicking the noble into a bloody pile, and looked at the boy kneeling next to her.  He had an olive complexion with black curly hair kept in place with a dark green bandana.  His eyes were looking down at the red spot growing from under her hand.

 

"I'm fine," she managed to choke out.  She turned to look at the owner of the whining voice.  It was another black-haired boy, but this one was very different from the one by her side.  This boy stood tall with his head held high, as if he wasn't afraid of anything.  His dark eyes were friendly and yet fierce at the same time.  He wore a red button up vest, denim short that went to his knees, and a normal pair of sandals.  Her eyes were drawn back to his face, taking in his large toothy grin.  He placed one hand on top of his straw hat and cheered on the blonde man.

 

She turned back to her rescuer just as he started to walk towards her.  He ran his fingers through his hair and knelt down in front of her.  He gently took her hand in his larger one and kissed the back of it.  The teen girl felt her cheeks heat up at the gesture.  It was then that she got a good look at his face.  It was a handsome man, with a curly eyebrow and one eye hidden behind his blonde bangs.  He also had the start of a beard on his chin.

 

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, my sweet.  Maybe if I had, I could have stopped that horrible man from hurting such a beautiful creature."  The blonde man raised his head and gave her a loving gaze.  "And what is the lovely lady called, eh?"  He seemed to wiggle as he spoke.

 

Aries leaned away from him and pulled her hand from his grasp and raised it to cover one of her spiral horns.  The movement drew the three boys’ attention to them rather than hide them like she hoped.

 

"Oh wow!  Are those real?!"  The boy in the straw hat leaned down and touched the horn closest to him.  The girl jerked away and covered both with her hands.

 

"Yes they're real."  Her voice was tense, her eyes frightened.

 

The blonde man swooned and mumbled something about 'sounding like an angel', but Aries didn't pay much attention to him.  With both her hands covering her spiral horns, her knife wound was fully visible to her saviors.  All three got serious at the sight of the still growing red stain coming through her white fleece dress.

 

"You need to get that treated right away!" the curly haired boy said.  His face gave away how worried and concerned he was for the girl.  That was something she wasn't used to.

 

Again the blonde boy apologized for not saving her sooner and he gave the unconscious noble another swift kick.  The boy in the red vest moved from her left side to sit crossed legged in front of her.  He stared at her face for a little while before smiling.  "Hi.  My name's Luffy.  The coward next to you is Usopp and the guy with the curly eyebrow is Sanji.  What's your name?"

 

Aries blinked, dumbfounded.  _Just who are these guys?_    She watched in almost childlike wonder as her savior, who she now knew was named Sanji, kicked Luffy in the head for not introducing him better.  Usopp also yelled at the friendly boy about calling him a coward.  Luffy covered his head and yelled out an apology followed by merry laughter while the other two continued to hit him.

 

The young woman felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards into a small smile and little giggles gathered in the back of her throat.  The small sounds stopped the boys' scuffle.  The three were confused at first but smiled at her.  Usopp took his foot off his friend's head and crouched down in front of the still injured girl.  Her giggles faded and her smile shrunk, but her eyes were much brighter than before.  She eyed the long-nosed boy warily, but didn't back away.

 

"That wound of yours is serious.  You should get it treated.  We could take you back to our ship and have our navigator do it.  I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

 

Aries stared into his eyes, searching for any malicious intent.  When she didn't find any, she nodded slowly, allowing Usopp to help her back to her feet.  He held her arm and led her towards the docks, while Luffy and Sanji picked up bags of food and followed behind them.

 

As they walked down the main street, Usopp told the sheep girl all about the group's ship.  It was called the Going Merry and they got it from his friend back in Syrup Village.  Then he starting telling her about his great adventures as the Great Captain Usopp.  The girl tried to pay attention to his tales, but her eyes darted back and forth searching for any sign of the pirates that brought her here.  These travelers were nice.  She didn't want them to get caught up in her messy life.

 

Before she knew it, the group was at the docks, standing before a small caravel ship with a ram figurehead.  Aries couldn't help chuckle at the irony and absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind one of her horns.  She watched the skinny olive-skinned Usopp quickly climb up the rope ladder and over the railing of the ship.  She let her dark blue eyes drift over the course rope ladder and winced.  Climbing would definitely hurt with the slash in her side.

 

She pressed her hand against the wound and turned to question the other two boys.  Both Luffy and Sanji still had their arms full of bags containing food.  She watched in amazement as they tossed the bags effortlessly up into the air.  Another man, this one with short green hair, caught them and carried them out of sight.  As she blinked in surprise at their great display of strength, she was lifted off her feet and pressed against a strong, broad chest.

 

Quickly, she whipped her head around to stare into the visible eye of her curly-browed handler.  His suave grin almost took her breath away.  "A lovely princess shouldn't have to climb when she is in such a condition.  I shall carry you aboard, milady."

 

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.  She cast her gaze on the wooden walls of the ship.  She felt the muscles in his chest tense as he crouched.  Suddenly, he leapt high into the air.  Aries felt a squeak escape her lips as she clutched Sanji's black suit jacket in her fists.  Her eyes looked around at the ship that was coming up fast beneath them, when her eyes landed on the sail.

 

Panic bubbled in her gut; Fear gripped her heart.  There on the biggest sail was a jolly roger wearing a straw hat.  _They- They're pirates!_

 

Sanji landed gracefully on the wooden deck of the small ship, cooing over the sheep girl in his arms.  But her attention was everywhere but him.  Her eyes searched for an escape route.  Her frightened orbs moved back to the railing where she had just come from in time to see hands grab the white wood and a body go flinging past.  Her jaw dropped as she watched Luffy shoot through the air, holding his straw hat to his head, laughing like an idiot.  He stretched his arm out to grab the mast and pulled himself back onto the Going Merry's deck.

 

_What the fuck was that?  D-Does he have devil fruit powers too?  I'm so screwed._

 

She struggled in the blonde cook's arms, pushing hard against his strong chest.  Surprised by her sudden force, his arms loosened around her body.  She slipped out of his grasp and crashed into the wooden planks.  She pushed herself to her feet and backed up against the mast.  She couldn't stop the shivers that wracked her body.  Her vision clouded with unshed tears, panic taking over her thoughts.  Her eyes remained locked on Luffy, watching his movements cautiously.  "W-what are you?" she stuttered, her voice breathy with her panic.

 

The young man grinned and laughed, his finger hooking the inside of his mouth and tugging out far past normal human limitations.  "I'm a rubber man!" he laughed, "I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit!"

 

Aries hung her head as her tears finally fell down her cheeks.  Someone touched her shoulder gently and spoke to her, but the words sounded muddled to her panic-stricken brain.  Her body reacted to the touch before she could register the movement.  Her fleece covered fist made contact with the person's face.  Her vision cleared as the tears slipped over.  Her fist was still outstretched and Usopp was lying on the ground, his left cheek already starting to swell.  Stuttering, she let her arm fall limp.  More tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, guilt sitting heavy in her stomach.

 

She tried to form words of an apology, but couldn't get them out.  The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt a harsh glare land on her back.  She turned slowly to meet the icy stare of the green haired man.  He pointed a sword at her before charging.  She ducked below the deadly blade, covering her head with her arms.  The green haired man's blade stuck in the thick wood of the mast.  She looked up at him through her bangs, eyes turning serious.

 

She shifted her weight and sprung forward, slamming her head into his gut, her rough bone horns digging painfully in his skin.  The blow knocked the swordsman off his feet and onto his back.  A collective gasp sounded from everyone at the sight of their crew mate being taken down.

 

Aries spun on the ball of her foot and started running towards the railing of the ship.

 

"Oh no you don't!" a female voice shouted behind her.

 

A strong whack to the back of the head sent the blonde sheep girl down to the ground.  She tried to push herself back up, but was rewarded with another strong strike.  Then, her world went black.

 

* * *

 

 

Nami stood above the shorter blonde girl, her wooden staff in hand.  Her pretty face contorted into an ugly scowl.  "Alright.  Who is this girl and why did she attack us?"

 

Usopp sat up, holding his inflamed cheek.  "Sanji saved her from being attacked.  Maybe our pirate flag spooked her."

 

Sanji cooed unintelligibly about his 'princess' being so strong.  Luffy looked down at Zoro who held his abdomen in pain.  His injuries from the battle at Arlong Park must have reopened slightly after that head-butt.  The captain walked over and crouched beside the unconscious girl.

 

"Oi, Nami?  Can you bandage her wound?  I want her to be our new nakama."  His voice was as innocent as the grin on his lips.

 

The orange haired girl bared her teeth and punched the rubber man in the head.  "Why should I help someone who attacked us?!"

 

Luffy pushed his prized straw hat to hang down his back as he rubbed the bump protruding from his hair.  "Because we didn't tell her we were pirates.  It's only natural she's be scared, especially after just being attacked by someone else," he pouted.

 

The navigator sighed and rubbed her temples.  She knew he was right, but certainly didn't want to admit it.  "Why do you want her to join our crew if she's scared of us?"

 

"Because she's strong.  I mean she took down Zoro with one hit."  A simple man with a simple answer.  There never was much to Luffy's trail of thought.

 

Zoro coughed and pushed himself to his feet.  "It was a cheap shot.  She couldn't pull that on me again."  His face was in its normal scowl, but he seemed even more irritated knowing that he was still not in peak condition after his fight with the fishmen.

 

Nami agreed to patch up the poor girl, but made Luffy promise not to force her to join them if she really didn't want to.  Sanji carried the mysterious girl into the kitchen and laid her down on the bench.  Nami quickly kicked the ero-cook out and knelt down beside her patient.  She gently lifted the soft, white dress up to just under the blonde's bust.  The navigator frowned as she wiped the damaged skin with a wet cloth, cleaning away the dried blood.

 

"It’s a shame such a pretty dress had to be ruined.  I'm sure it was expensive and one of your favorites."  She spoke softly to the sleeping teen, wincing as she started sewing the ripped flesh back together with a needle and thread.  "I know it must've shocked you that those three guys were pirates.  None of us really seem like run-of-the-mill thugs.  But we aren't like normal pirates.  We don't go around hurting people or destroying villages.  Well... Luffy does have a tendency to break buildings when he fights, but he never starts the fights.  When you wake up, I'll make sure you see that we're different.  Because if they were like all the other pirates, I wouldn't be here."

 

Nami smiled fondly at the door out to the deck, totally unaware that the girl had been awake the whole time.  A knock sounded at the door, and Usopp walked in carrying a small stack of clothes.

 

"I got you those clothes you asked for.  But what are they for?"

 

"Well obviously she can't keep wearing that ruined dress.  She needs clean clothes.  Plus, I never wear these anymore, and they look like they'll fit her."  Nami lift the pile of clothes next to the still girl before leaving with the sniper.

 

* * *

 

 

Aries sat up gingerly as to not irritate her wound farther. Her dark blue eyes watched the closed door as she got to her feet.  The girl's words echoed in her mind.

 

_What does she mean they aren't like other pirates?  Does she mean that they aren't going to give me back to the Coyote Ugly crew?  I don't want to go through another auction._

 

She looked back at the table where the girl had laid out fresh clothes.  A pair of short shorts and a dark purple shirt sat on the wooden table top.  The sheep girl looked down at the dress the prep team made her wear and sure enough, a large dark red stain covered the right side.  Her eyes slowly drifted to her hands and her breath caught in her throat when she saw her red-stained palms and fingers.  She nibbled harshly on her bottom lip as she all but ripped her gloves off and used them to scrub the blood from her skin.

 

When she noticed the dried blood wasn't coming off, she stumbled towards the sink and thrust her hands under the running water.  Aries finally took a breath when the water started turning brown and her hands were once again clean.

 

Once she was done scrubbing her hands, she dropped her gloves in a pile on the table.  She then took off the white legwarmers before grabbing the dress.  She ripped the fleece so it ended a couple of inches below her bust, exposing her bandaged mid-section.  She let the stained fabric fall on top of the other pieces, creating a large pile of once white clothes.

 

The blonde girl pulled on the brown shorts, careful to not bend over too far.  Finally, she knelt down to gather the fleece in her arms.

 

"Well.  I can't just throw this away.  It’s the only weapon I know how to use."  She whispered to herself.  She closed her eyes tight, concentrating solely on the warm wool beneath her fingers.

 

"Wool-Wool Blend." she spoke in a forceful whisper.

 

The fleece seemed to jump about in her arms, stretching and growing, three pieces of clothing becoming one roll of fabric.  A small, dense, brown ball fell out of the wool spool and into her hand.  She looked over the brown object and then back at the roll in front of her.  No trace of blood could be seen.  Only pure white wool.  She smiled and sat the brown thing on the table.

 

"I'm getting better at that.  The blood spots are completely gone this time.  And the cast-off is smaller, but it’s heavy.  I wonder if that's because I tried to make it smaller?" she spoke to herself softly, rolling the blood-stained wool around the table.  She picked it up and tossed it in the garbage barrel by the door without giving it another glance.

 

Aries took the tight roll of fleece in her hands and whispered her command to it once again.  This time the roll jumped and shifted into three pieces, giving the girl back her woolen gloves and a smaller roll of fabric.  She strapped the roll to her back using a small piece of rope she found on the floor after slipping her gloves back on.  Finally, she pulled her hair out of the already falling side ponytail.  Her wavy blonde tresses fell down to her waist.

 

_Fighting with it down would be a pain.  Better pull it back up._

 

She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail so it would be out of the way.  Now, she was ready to face whatever the pirates had set up for her.  Nervously, she walked to the exit, hand pressed against the smooth wood.  She took a deep breath, calming her upset stomach, before opening the door.  Her fight-or-flight instinct kicked on in hyper drive as she saw the swordsman from before standing directly in front the door, glaring down at her.

 

"I think it's time you told us who you are."  His gruff voice demanding.

 

Aries opened her mouth to respond, but only a nervous bleat escaped.  She gave a tiny cough and nodded.  The much taller male placed his large hand on her shoulder and led her to the center of the deck.  Sitting before her were the other four members of the pirate crew.

 

_Only five members?  Not much of a crew._

 

The swordsman pushed down on her shoulder, forcing her to sit down across from the others before taking his place, leaning against the mast.  Her eyes measured up each and every member.  Usopp wasn't strong physically, but she could tell he was good with the slingshot in his hand.  The girl wasn't strong either, but she was sneaky.  Aries wanted to rub the back of her head which still ached from the blow the other girl had delivered.  Now her eyes roamed over the other three males.  Strong, powerful auras radiated from them.  Sanji didn't look to threatening with his wiggling and 'loving' gaze, but she remembered the way his muscles felt when he held her.  Luffy didn't look too scary either, with his vacant stare and finger up his nose, but she had seen him stretch his body and he did say he ate a devil fruit.  Plus, he obviously knew how to use his ability to its fullest, while she was still discovering her abilities.

 

The last member of the pirate crew was the one that affected her the most.  The green haired swordsman glared down at her smaller form with obvious disdain.  His muscles were tense, ready to attack with the slightest provoke. She shifted uncomfortably under his harsh glare.  She closed her eyes, trying to focus on anything but the memories that intense gaze brought back.

 

She could still hear that evil laughter that plagued her nightmares for several years.  And those harsh yellow eyes watching her hungrily from the darkness of the auction hall.

 

Once again, she let out a nervous bleat, ignoring the strange looks from the orange-haired girl.  She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away as she retreated once more into the depths of her mind.  Aries shifted to sit on her knees in the formal kneeling position she was used to.  She bowed her head, eyes downcast.  Her glove covered hands placed in her lap.

 

"Hello.  My name is Aries the Sheep, property of the Coyote Ugly pirate crew and its captain."

 

The group before her made their own confused noises as she raised her head out of her bow.  Her eyes were empty, void of all emotion, as was her voice.  The orange haired girl gave a very visible twitch before leaning forward, an angry frown tugging at her lips.

 

"What do you mean property?"  There was a sharp edge to her words, as if the question left a bad taste in her mouth.  The boys glanced at her briefly before gazing at Aries.

 

"I mean what I said.  I am a slave that belongs to Captain Coyote."


	4. Chapter Four

** Chapter Four **

** A Time Long Forgotten **

****

The Straw Hat pirates sat in silence, staring at the emotionless blonde kneeling in front of them.  Nami stood up and walked towards Aries.  The navigator gripped her hand in a tight fist.  She raised her fist and struck the girl hard, knocking her over.  The blonde sheep girl fell onto her side.  A small yelp passed through her lips and her eyes burned fiercely.

 

Aries glared up at the older girl and bared her teeth.  "What was that for?"

 

Nami shook her hand, her knuckles bruised and scratched from the rough bone horns on the blonde's head.  She leveled her glare with Aries.  "I don't understand how you can say that!  You sound like you don't care about being the property of pirates!"

 

A low growl rumbled in her throat as she pushed herself into a crouching position.  "Of course I care!  I hate it!  All I want is to be free!  But I can't get away from them!  They're too strong!"

 

The orange haired girl gritted her teeth, her heavy wooden staff spinning in her hand.  "You have Devil Fruit powers!  Doesn't that mean you're like super strong?"

 

The blonde girl felt her throat tighten around the words she wanted to scream.  She felt the fleece gloves start to shift against her arms.  "I don't know how to use my powers!"

 

She shifted her weight to the balls of her feet and pushed off them, leaping at Nami, fist pulled back.  Her young face contorted into an ugly scowl.

 

Before she could fully extend her arm, the green haired man grabbed her wrist with his much larger hand.  He twisted her arm behind her back and held his sword to her throat.  She held her breath, eyes wide in fear, and cast panicked glances to the other crew members.  Sanji was yelling at the swordsman for being rough with the small blonde, but Aries couldn't really make out his words.  She struggled in his grip, but he was much stronger than her.

 

After a few minutes of fruitless struggle, she gave up and let her body fall limp in Zoro's grasp.  She raised her head and saw Usopp standing in front of her, a sad expression on his face.  His left cheek was still red and puffy from her punch earlier.  She cast her eyes away in shame.

 

"We can help you, ya know.  We're strong.  If you would just tell us how to, I just know we can set you free."  His eyes shined with honesty as he pleaded with her.  He looked at Zoro and nodded his head.  The man grunted and released her arm from his iron grip.

 

Aries stumbled forward and Usopp quickly grabbed her upper arms to help steady her.  She nodded her head numbly before turning to look at the other pirates on the deck.  Her deep blue eyes took in the sight of the other four pirates before turning back to the long-nosed boy holding her up.  She hardened her gaze and jutted out her chin defiantly.

 

"How do I know I can trust you?  You all are pirates."

 

"If we were gonna hurt you, don't you think we would've done it by now?"  Luffy spoke from his spot on the wooden deck of the ship, eyes shining with his innocent honesty.

 

The sheep girl let her eyes search his for any sign of lies, and when she didn't see any, she turned back to Usopp.  She let out a heavy sigh and moved out of the sniper's grip.  She knelt down in front of the Straw Hat crew and they gathered around her.

 

"I was born on an island in the North Blue that specialized in training fisherman.  It was a beautiful place that was warm year round, and the fisherman from our island were the best of the best.  There wasn't a fish market in the world that didn't have at least one fisherman from our island."  Her voice sounded far away as she spoke.  Images of the turquoise waves and small boats floating just off the shore passed her mind's eye.  As she spoke, she slowly untied the rope that was holding the roll of wool against her back.  It fell against the deck soundlessly.

 

"My father was one of the best teachers the island had so he had a lot of students.  One day, when he and his students were pulling in one of the drag nets, they found a strange looking fruit among the fish.  It was a large apple-shaped fruit, but it was pure white and fuzzy with a thick, brown, curled stem.  One of the students recognized it as a Devil Fruit and immediately suggested that they sell it to pirates.  Devil Fruits are very rare and some people are willing to pay millions of beli for one.  But daddy wasn't so sure it was a good idea.  There were really bad pirates in the North Blue around that time."

 

Aries paused and ran her fingers through her long bangs, shifting them out of her eyes.  Luffy and Usopp were leaning forward, waiting for her to continue talking.  Nami, Zoro, and Sanji looked less interested, but she could tell they were also waiting for her to start speaking again.

 

"Needless to say, the discovery of the fruit split the main village in two parts: those in favor of selling the fruit and those against it.  Dad insisted that the fruit stay in our house, so no one could get to it.  I was just a kid, but I could see the arguing and fighting escalating.  I didn't want Dad to get hurt, so during one of the many arguments, I ate it.  I ate the fruit without a second thought.  I just wanted the fighting to stop.  When Daddy realized what I had done, he was so mad.  I remember he tried to hit me, but my horns had started to grow."  She paused once again to run her fingers over the rough horns spiraling from her head.

 

"He got a pretty nasty cut from them."  A small hollow laugh left her lips.  "But he wasn't angry that I ate the fruit.  Oh no.  He was scared because one of his students had advertised the sale of the fruit already which meant that pirates were on their way.  If they found out there was no more fruit to buy, things could get violent.  And he was right.  A few days later, a pirate crew came and started destroying the villages by the shore.  It didn't take them long to find my father and I in our house.  I don't remember much about them, but the captain, the man who killed my father…"

 

Her fists clenched on her knees.  Her shoulders shook as she swallowed the sob that crept up her throat.

 

"His name was Bellamy, a rookie from the North Blue who had recently allied himself under a really powerful pirate in the Grand Line."  Aries took a deep breath and raised her head to stare at a spot on the deck between two of the pirates across from her.  She could feel herself retreating back into the depths of her mind.

 

"After they killed everyone on the island, they took me with them to the Grand Line to be sold in the biggest human auction house in the world.  I was bought and sold so many times, I lost count.  A year later, I was bought by the Captain Coyote and brought to the East Blue.  I've been his slave for 4 years now.  He has sold me to many people, only to kill them, steal everything of value, and of course, take me back to the ship to do it all over again on the next island."

 

She could tell that her voice was empty, but she didn't care.  She looked up to observe the group's reactions.  Sanji and Usopp looked at her kneeling figure with large teary eyes.  Nami was frowning at her, but still looked wary.  Zoro wasn't looking at her, instead, his eyes were on Luffy.

 

And Luffy was leaning back against the railing of the Going Merry, eyes shrouded by his signature straw hat.  The young captain was silent for a few moments before getting to his feet.  He walked over to Aries slowly, eyes still hidden by the rim of his straw hat.  He stopped directly in front of her.

 

"Do you want to be free?"

 

Luffy's voice rang loud in her ears.  She could feel his heated gaze on her skin.  Her lips twitched down in a deep frown as she matched his heated gaze with her own.

 

"Just because I wish for it doesn't mean it will happen," she spoke harshly, the words dripping like poison from her lips.  Aries could feel the familiar sting of tears behind her eyes.

 

The dark haired boy crouched down to be on her level.  The blonde girl could finally see his eyes.  He stared into her blue eyes with his intense, serious gaze.  His black eyes mirrored his confident aura.

 

"Do you want to be free?" he asked again.

 

Aries couldn't hold back her tears any longer.  They fell down her flushed cheeks like waterfalls as she sobbed.

 

"Yes!"

 

She covered her face with her gloved hands and sobbed into the soft fleece.  She felt someone rub the top of her head gently.

 

"All right then!  Let’s go kick this Captain Coyote's ass!"  Luffy shouted to the sky with a laugh.  Sounds of agreement came from the rest of the crew.

 

The sheep girl looked up from her hands and watched as Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji made their way to the side of the ship.

 

"There is a slight problem, though," she spoke quietly, small hiccups interrupting her breathing.

 

"Hm?"  The three boys turned to look at her.

 

"I don't know who Captain Coyote is or what he looks like.  Not a lot of people on the crew know."  She spoke hesitantly, as if afraid of how they would take the news.

 

The three tilted their heads, processing the information, before shouting in confusion.

 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE CAPTAIN IS?!"


	5. Chapter Five

** Chapter Five **

** Rebel Inside **

****

Aries flinched at the loud shouting coming from the three men before her.  A small bleat escaped her mouth as she covered her face with her hands.

 

"I mean he's a very mysterious person!  Very few people in the crew know who he is.  Even the marines have no clue!"  Her voice was shrill with fear.  She honestly thought they would hit her.  That's what the Coyote pirates had done when she told them something they didn't want to hear.

 

"She's right.  Take a look at his wanted poster."  Nami pulled a sheet of paper from the newspaper sitting in her lawn chair.  There on one of the back pages was an article with numerous pictures of wanted pirates.  The biggest picture was the silhouette of a tall man, hidden by the shadows and smoke that surrounded him.  The only spot of color was his bright yellow eyes.  The poster read, "Wanted: Coyote.  Dead or Alive.  Bounty: 14,000,000 beli."

 

The timid sheep girl shrunk down at the sight of the poster and turned her back to Nami.  Those eyes had haunted her nightmares for so many years.  All she wanted was to be free of them.

 

"Someone in the crew has to know who he is."  Usopp said, tugging at his bushy curls.  "Do you know who would know and where they are?"

 

Aries shifted her weight to her left leg, lightly scuffing the toe of her brown boot against the wooden deck of the Merry.  "The first mate knows."  Her voice came out strained, as if something had a tight grip on her vocal cords.  Her fingers tugging at the fleece gloves that covered her arms.  "But Shin won't give up that information freely."

 

Her delicate hand rubbed up and down her left arm, slightly squeezing the pale skin, trying to calm her heart’s erratic beating.

 

"So we have to kick this guy Shin's ass first, then we can kick the captain's ass?"  Luffy said, cocking his head to the side.

 

"That's what it sounds like."  The green haired swordsman crossed his arms over his chest.  "So," his sharp eyes slide over to the shivering blonde, "where do we find this guy?"

 

Her hands moved to grip the rough rope at her side, subconsciously keeping her only protection close by as she stared at the males in shock and shook her head, sending her wavy blonde hair into her face and over her shoulder.  "You can't beat Shin.  Shin has never lost a fight.  Not ever."  Her dark blue eyes filled with fear once again.

 

"We can beat him."  Luffy said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 

Nami walked towards Aries and laid a hand on her shoulder.  When the younger girl looked up at her, the tangerine-haired navigator gave her a reassuring smile.  "They're stronger than they look, trust me.  I didn’t think anyone could beat Arlong, but they sure proved me wrong."

 

The sheep girl felt her eyes widen and she turned to look over the guys a few feet away.  "They really defeated Arlong?"  Her eyes passed over Luffy and Usopp, their face splitting grins made her lips twitch into a half smile of her own.

 

The long-nosed sniper rubbed under his nose and winks.  "It wasn't that hard."

 

Sanji lightly kicked the liar behind his knees, sending him tumbling to the deck.   "You mostly just ran away.  So don't make my sweet Aries-hime think you're some tough guy."

 

Luffy chuckled and put his arms behind his neck.  "We never lose."  He took a few steps forward, stopping directly in front of the enslaved girl.  "Tell us where this Shin guy is and we will set you free."

 

Aries stared into his deep black eyes and felt the hot burn of tears behind her own blue ones once again.  Her heart leapt in her chest and her hands tugged at the rope again.  No matter how much her mind screamed that she couldn't trust them, that they were the same as all the other pirates she had met, she couldn't look away from the young captain's tanned face.

 

"I'm not exactly sure where he is, but I can find him for you.  He always does the same thing when we reach a new island."   As she spoke, her eyes traced the dark crescent scar under the dark-haired boy's left eye.   His wide grin came back as he closed his eyes.  He laughed through his teeth and took her fleece covered wrist in his strong hand.

 

"Then let's go!"  He tugged her to her feet and dragged her behind him to the railing of the Going Merry.  Aries' grip on the rope around her fleece roll tightened, pulling it up to her body.  "Come on Zoro, Sanji!  Let's go!"

 

"Hold on, just a moment Luffy!"  Nami shouted, stamping her foot.  "You can't take both Zoro and Sanji with you!  What are Usopp and I gonna do if some of the Coyote pirates come looking for the girl we stole from them?"

 

Luffy stopped mid-step and moved his free hand to rub his chin.  His sudden halt caused Aries to slam into his toned body.  The force caused her to fall backwards onto her butt.

 

"Yea, you and Usopp suck at fighting."  He tilted his head back to look at his two strongest teammates.  He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the cook.

 

"I'll stay behind to protect Nami-swan, but you better beat up the guy responsible for hurting my dear Aries-hime."  Sanji grinned, giving the girl a flirty wink before dancing towards the orange haired navigator.

 

Luffy nodded and jerked Aries back to her feet.  "All right!  Let's go!"

 

Nami waved as the two ran towards the ship's railing.  "We'll be ready to sail by the time you get back!  Just gotta steal from-I mean be one step ahead of the Coyotes!"  Her eyes had changed into shining beli signs.  The long-nosed sniper groaned in the background and rubbed his still swollen cheek.

 

Zoro jumped over the railing, landing on the dock below effortlessly.  Luffy pulled the still shaking sheep girl to the railing and jumped over, taking her with him.  A shrill bleat left her throat as they landed.  Somehow she had managed to keep her feet under her.  The force of the landing sent shock waves up her legs.  She winced as gravity tried to pull her down, tugging painfully at her stitched side.

 

Shakily, she straightened up and yanked her wrist free of the rubber man's grip.  He laughed as she tied the rope back around her upper torso.  Zoro nodded his head towards the spiral of fabric before voicing his confusion.

 

"What is that?"

 

Aries gently rubbed her bandaged side, looking back over her left at the white, soft wool.  "Wool.  It's the only weapon I have."

 

"Wool?" he scoffed.  The swordsman didn't even try to hide the snide tone in his voice.

 

Aries glared up at him, pouting out her lower lip.  "Sorry my devil fruit powers are not as cool as your captain's."

 

"What can you do with it?"  Luffy's voice was laced with excitement, his eyes almost shining like stars.

 

The shy girl blinked before crossing her arms over her large breasts, palms touching her bare shoulders.  She closed her blue eyes and spoke with a clear voice, "Wool-Wool Stretch."  The wool covering her chest started to move against her skin, growing.  The wool spool on her back also began to shift.  The boys watched in awe as some wool moved from the spool on the girl's back to form racer back straps on the fleece tube top she had made from her dress.  As she moved her hands from her shoulders, the material settled down, ceasing its jumping.

 

She opened her eyes, glancing at the pirates, gaging their reactions.  The mint haired swordsman still had his stoic face, but his glare wasn't harsh anymore.  Her eyes moved over to Luffy, whose eyes had turned to stars.

 

"Cool~!  What else can you do?!"  The young captain bounced on the balls of his feet, fists clenched excitedly in front of him.

 

Aries shifted her weight from one leg to the other nervously, and walked passed them, towards the main street.  "Not much more.  I can stretch and mold wool or fleece into any shape I need, but I can't create it.  I have to have the material at hand.  I can also harden it, I think.  I haven't mastered that yet."

 

The two followed closely behind her as she led them down the main drag, Luffy still chattering about how cool her ability was.  Her cheeks heated up and she tugged her bangs into her eyes, trying to hide her colored face.  She certainly wasn't used to compliment or kindness.  Once she calmed herself down, she starting looking left and right every so often, but never once stopped walking.

 

Zoro felt himself get annoyed with the lack of answers he had.  "So how are you gonna find this guy, huh?"

 

The blonde girl looked back at him from over her shoulder.  "Shin always does the same thing on every island we visit."  She turned forward again and look a left down a side road.  "He always visits a local bar and drinks non-stop for the day."

 

Luffy cocked his head to the side, confused.  "So you know which bar he's in?"

 

"I have no clue which bar he's in."  She stated, clenching and unclenching her fists.

 

"Then how the hell are you gonna find him?!" Zoro yelled, a vein throbbing at his temple.  This girl was proving to be more trouble than she was worth in his opinion.

 

"Trust me, we'll all know which bar it is when we find it."  Her voice held a matter-of-fact tone that signaled that the conversation was over.

 

"How well do you know this guy?  I mean, you must be close if you know what he does in his free time."  The pirate captain asked innocently, watching her wavy ponytail sway with her steps.  The blonde stopped walking, her back straight as a board.  Luffy hummed in confusion before walking around her.  He bent over to look at her eyes that were hidden by her long bangs.  Her blue orbs were hard and cold.

 

The rubber boy frowned.  "Sheep-girl?"

 

"We aren't close.  Far from it.  I hate that man."  She gripped her fists so tightly that her manicured nails cut into the soft skin of her palms.  Aries let her head fall slightly, her soft bangs covering a majority of her face.  "Shin is the one in charge of me, and since he found watching a slave boring, he would go out of his way to make my life hell.  After every auction, he would wait longer and longer to come steal me back.  I lost count of how many times I was almost killed or… worse."  She trailed off a little before speaking again, "But that wasn't enough entertainment for him.  During the first year I was with the Coyote crew, I tried to escape every night."

 

The girl walked a few steps to her right and leaned her back against the rough stone of the building there.  She unclenched her fists and inspected the many crescent cuts in her palms before continuing.

 

"Shin got tired of chasing me down, so he came up with this brilliant idea.  He would fight me once a month, and if I could beat him, I would be set free.  He called it my monthly Freedom Fight.  Of course, I was never able to beat him.  I mean, I was only 12 when they started.  But to make it even better for him, when I lost, I had to spend the rest of that month in seastone shackles so I wouldn't be able to try and escape again.  So I basically have spent the last 4 years in energy draining shackles, almost insuring that I'd never beat him."

 

Luffy frowned deeply, crossing his arms in front of him.  He watched the blonde girl before him rub her eyes with her hands.  He could feel Zoro shift beside him.  His swordsman friend was also frowning at the girl, but his eyes were angry.  The dark-haired boy felt the same.  How dare someone prey on someone weaker.  Now they really wanted to kick this guy's ass.  Suddenly, a bell went off in the rubber boy's head.

 

"Sheep-girl, what's seastone?"  He stuck his index finger back in his ear, scratching.

 

Aries lifted an eyebrow at him and placed her hands on her hips.  "You're a devil fruit user and you don't know about seastone?"

 

"Nope."  Simple answer from a seemingly simple boy.

 

She resisted the urge to deeply sigh before she spoke.  "Seastone is a rare natural substance that gives off the same wavelength as the sea.  So its effect on devil fruit users is the same as being under water.  We can't move.  It's horrible."  As she spoke, she rubbed her fingers against her wrists, massaging the fading bruises hiding under her fleece arm warmers.

 

"Let's keep looking," she said coldly, pushing off the wall and continuing down the road.  The boys followed silently, processing the information.

 

The group walked on a few more minutes in silence.  They turned down another side street.  Farther down the street was a crowd of people standing around outside a building.

 

"I wonder what's going on over there."  Luffy had pushed his precious straw hat down to hang around his neck.

 

Aries stopped walking, watching the crowd with wary eyes.  Zoro and the rubber boy followed suit.

 

"This the place?"  The swordsman placed a hand on the sheath of his sword.

 

"Maybe…"  The girl took a few steps closer to the crowd.  A few seconds later, a body broke through a window and flew into a pile of crates across the street.  Aries let out a frightened bleat and covered her head with her arms.  Zoro drew his sword, ready to battle, and Luffy raised his fists.  The crowd around the building's entrance scattered, screaming.

 

Aries slowly straightened her back, her hands clenched tightly against her breasts.  "Yeah, this is it."  Her eyes were locked on the smashed crates and injured body of the man.

 

"I thought you said that Shin guy was strong.  He can't be too strong if he gets thrown through windows."  Luffy said matter-of-factly, sticking a finger in his ear.

 

The blonde walked passed the boys once again, walking up to the bar's entrance.  "That wasn't Shin, but I bet you 100 beli Shin is the one that sent him flying."

 

Zoro grunted and pushed his captain to follow the wavy haired girl.  The dark-haired boy stumbled slightly before catching his balance.

 

The inside of the bar was dirty with dim lighting, giving the room a hazy yellowish glow.  Aries scrunched up her nose in disgust.  It reeked of stale alcohol and vomit.  Her eyes began to water from the awful smell as she looked around the room for the brown-haired man.  She felt the Straw Hats come up beside her.

 

"See him?" the swordsman asked, hand on the hilt of his sword.

 

Her blue eyes locked on the broad back of a man hunched over the bar.  She nodded slightly, her wavy ponytail bouncing with her movement.  "Yeah, that's him.  Leaning over the bar."  She walked a few steps closer and pushed her shoulders back, willing her shaking body to calm down.  "Shin!"

 

Her soft voice sounded loud in the silent room.  The man sat up and turned to face the source of the voice.  His short brown hair was wet with booze, some stray droplets running down his face, following the pale lines of old scars.  His hard eyes were glossy with intoxication.  His thin lips formed a lopsided grin.

 

"Lamb!  I see you were able to get away without my help this time.  Shame though, we won't be able to rob the fool.  Heard he's bid almost beat your high score."  His words were slurred and he could barely sit up straight.  He leaned back against the bar, resting his elbows on the polished wood.  His glassy eyes slid to look over the two men standing closely behind her.  "I see you made some new friends."

 

Luffy took a few steps forward, stepping in front of the blonde girl.  "I'm here to kick your ass."

 

Loud laughter filled the room.  Shin slumped forward on his stood as his chuckles racked his body.  He slowly got up from his seat, wobbling as he fought to stay standing.  "And why would you wanna do that?"  His words lost some of the drunken slur as he studied the three teens standing before him.

 

"To set Sheep-girl free."  Luffy pulled his fist back, ready to strike.  The older male laughed again, stumbling a few steps to the left.

 

"Oh really?  So you think a scrawny twig and a wannabe swordsman can beat me?  Good luck."  Shin chuckled again before finishing the beer in his hand.

 

The dark haired pirate growled and launched himself at the drunk man.  Aries raised her hand to stop him, but it was too late.  In the blink of an eye, Luffy had smashed into a cluttered table in the corner of the bar.  Zoro drew his white sword and dashed at Shin.

 

Time seemed to slow down as the young blonde watched her charge almost dance out of the way of the slashes, his fluid movements impossible to predict.  The swordsman noticed this and stopped swinging his blade.  In the split second of his hesitation, Shin punched him in the jaw, sending him flying into the wall behind the bar.

 

Aries winced at the sound of shattering glass and the painful, dull thud of Zoro's body hitting the wooden floor.  Her icy glare remained on the large man before her, watching his water-like motions.  The large man laughed loudly.

 

"I told y'all that you were no match for me!"

 

He turned back to the girl, wiping his face with the red bandanna that had been tied around his upper arm.  A deep frown tugged at her pink lips.  _I knew he's unbeatable.  Well, if he's finally gonna kill me, I'm going down fighting._

 

The skin around her horns began to itch slightly as her eyes glanced over to the direction Luffy had flown in.  He was slowly pulling his head out of the hole it had made in the wall.  When it finally popped free, he turned to Shin, angry.

 

He opened his mouth to yell, but stopped when Aries raised her hand.  The itch around her horns slowly became a dull burning sensation as the rough bone spiraled further out of her head.  Her face was blank as the bone stopped growing.  As the burn faded, a cocky smirk stretched across her pink, pouty lips.  She shifted her weight to her right leg, resting her hands on her hips.

 

The Straw Hat captain watched on, confused, but silent.  Behind the bar, Zoro got back to his feet.  He removed his black bandana from his head, and tied it back on his arm.

 

"Guess this is her fight now." he muttered, eyeing her larger horns with interest.

 

"Well, well, well.  If it isn't Ram.  It's been a while." Shin raised his fist up, moving fluidly from side to side.

 

"It's barely been a month, you oaf.  Are you ready for our fight?  I don't think you've fully recovered from last time."  Her voice portrayed the same smug attitude that was now plastered on her face.

 

The brown haired man threw his head back and laughed.  "If I remember correctly, our last fight ended with you begging for your life."

 

"Tch.  You must have rocks for brains.  I would never beg for my so-called life."  Her words fell from her lips like poison as she spat at him.  "But today, my life will begin.  Today, I will be free."

 

Shin matched her cocky grin and assumed a fighting stance.  "So are we following our usual rules?"

 

Aries pulled her brown boots and socks off, and bounced a few times on the balls of her now bare feet.  "Same rules, different reward.  When I win, not only will I be free of your ugly ass, you will tell me and my new friends were the Captain is."

 

Her opponent's face darkened, his aura turning serious.  "Then I guess I shouldn't play around this time."

 

"Doesn't matter, because this time, you will be the one begging for your pathetic life."  Aries said, her cocky grin stretched wider, her white teeth shining in the dingy light.  She moved her left foot back, taking a fighting stance, and raised her fists in front of her face.  She bounced her weight from one leg to the other, keeping her body loose.

 

"Enough talk.  Time for me to finally beat you!"


	6. Chapter Six

** Chapter Six **

** The Prize Fight **

 

The wool gloves on Aries' arms rippled against her pale skin as she bounced closer to the intimidating man before her.  Zoro walked around the bar, following Shin's movements with wary eyes.

 

"What the hell is he doing?" he asked as he sheathed his sword.  Luffy hopped over the debris from his crash and put his straw hat back on his head.  The dark-haired boy watched Aries with observing eyes, curious about her fighting style.

 

Aries laughed and shifted her stance to be closer to Shin.  "That's his fighting style.  It's known as the Drunken Fist.  Basically, he gets beyond wasted and no one can beat him."

 

Her opponent chuckled darkly as he jabbed a punch in the blonde's direction.  The sheep girl was only barely able to dodge it.  He kept attacking Aries, his punches getting harder and harder to dodge.

 

"Ya know, Ram, that cocky attitude of yers is gonna be yer downfall," he slurred.  Aries let loose a low growl from the back of her throat and sent a couple of straight punches towards his face.  She smirked as she saw her fist flying towards his large nose.

 

As her clenched hand made contact, there was no satisfying crush of his nose breaking, no howl of pain.  Instead, the surprised girl's attack went through him.  The blonde stumbled as she tried to rebalance herself, but a strike to the back of her head sent her tumbling to the floor.

 

The sound of Luffy's and Zoro's shouts of disbelief was fuzzy in her ears.  She slowly pushed herself up onto her knees, blood dripping down her face from a rough scrape on her forehead.

 

"Yer never gonna beat me, Ram.  Ya pathetic sheep, doomed to be my slave until I decide to kill ya."  His large hand grabbed her soft, wavy hair and yanked her head back, pulling her into a kneeling position.  A pained bleat passed her lips.  "Ya think yer so smart.  Ya think ya got me figured out, but yer nowhere near close."  His voice grated like sandpaper against her eardrums as his speech slurred even more.

 

She opened her eyes weakly, giving him her best glare before spitting in his face.  Shin growled as he wiped the spit from his cheek.  He let go of her blonde ponytail, pushing her forward.  A sadistic grin stretched across his chapped lips.

 

As she straightened, the bulky pirate appeared in front of her.  He dodged a sloppy punch to the throat and kneed her in the gut.  His drunken laugh echoed in the dingy room.

 

Aries gritted her red-stained teeth, spitting the copper tasting substance onto the concrete floor.

 

Shin grabbed another mug of beer from behind the bar and chugged it down quickly.

 

"When did you get so fast, you bastard?  Have you been holding back this much?" she coughed out, holding her side, blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around her mid-section.  She grimaced as she twisted her body to glare at her opponent.  _His last attack must've ripped some stitches.  Shit._   The sheep girl staggered as the dull throb became a searing pain.

 

Shin laughed again, running his large hand through his short hair.  "It's not that I'm faster, Ram.  The problem is that yer thinking too much."

 

On the other end of the room, Zoro scoffed under his breath.  "This doesn't seem like a fair fight, Luffy."

 

Luffy looked up at the taller swordsman.  "Sheep-girl will win," he said simply.  He adjusted his straw hat on his head as he watched the fight in front of him.

 

Zoro resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  He was used to his captain's antics by now.  "What makes you so sure?"

 

A cheek-splitting grin stretched across the young rubber boy's face.  "Because she's gonna be our new nakama!"

 

This time, the green haired male couldn't hold down his groan.  "Of course you already decided that.  But just how are you going to convince a girl who's terrified of pirates to join a pirate crew?"

 

The captain tilted his head.  "We're her friends now.  She isn't scared of us."

 

Zoro shook his head and moved his attention back to the fight.  Aries and Shin were circling each other like lions in a cage.  His dark eyes grazed over the blonde girl's form, taking in the subtle changes in her personality.  She was no longer the scared, trembling girl he had encountered on the Merry.  Now, she was sarcastic and confrontational.  It was like she was someone else altogether.

 

Aries watched Shin's every move, trying to figure out what his trick was.  He had never been this much faster than her.  Every time she tried to follow his movements, he would be where she least expected him.  She, once again, launched a strong right jab to his chest, only to hit air.  She bared her teeth and turned around just in time to block a strike to her head.

 

“Ya can’t figure it out, can ya?” the burly man laughed as he swayed slightly.

 

Aries snarled and spat out a curse at him as she pressed her hand harder against the wound.  She pushed herself to stand up straight, her wool gloves bubbling against her skin.  The soft material shifted down and gathered around her clenched fists.  She looked down, her dark blue eyes widening slightly as she took in the shape her gloves were in.  The gloves were now short, ending just above her wrists, with extra padding around her knuckles and first finger joints.

 

She opened and clenched her fists a few times before her lips turned up in a cocky smirk.  She shifted her body weight onto her back leg, bouncing as she tried to forget about the blood that was now running down her leg.  She pulled her arm back and struck at him with a quick jab to the chest.  Once again, her fist hit nothing but air.

 

Aries spun around on the ball of her foot to strike behind her, expecting Shin to be there.  But once again, she hit nothing.  Frustrated, she jerked her head side to side, scanning the room for any sign of the bulky man.  There was no sign of him anywhere in the bar.  Over against the wall, Zoro and Luffy also searched the room with their eyes.

 

“Does he have Devil Fruit powers?” the swordsman growled.  “I’ve never seen a punch go through someone like that.  And now he’s disappeared?”  The older teen cast a glance at his captain, who was silent.  His dark eyes watched the blonde girl’s every move.

 

“Now ya aren’t using yer brain at all, Ram.  How pathetic.”  His slurred voice came from behind her, slowly drifting through the musty air.

 

The girl knew that he wouldn’t be behind her, the acoustics in the room allowed his voice to bounce off the walls and almost fill the space with its sound.  She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, trying to listen for the sound of her opponent's footfalls.  She cleared her mind and focused only on the sounds around her.

 

 _Where is he?_   She asked herself.  _Shin is tall and bulky.  Even if he tried his hardest to be stealthy, his feet would still make sounds as he shifted his weight.  So which direction is he gonna come from?_

 

The room was silent.  The pirates stopped their whispering (or what they considered whispering.  Neither one knew how to be discreet) and watched Aries as she stood completely still in the center of the room.

 

Her head lifted slightly and barely turned to the left.  _There!_

 

Her eyes snapped open and she threw out her fist in a sharp punch.  This time, there was the feeling of her knuckles meeting skin and the sweet sound of her opponent’s breath catching in his throat.  A sadistic smirk stretched across her pink lips as she launched punch after punch at Shin’s unprotected chest and abdominal area.  As she pulled her fist back to deliver her final blow to his windpipe, she froze under the man’s frightening glare.

 

Shin’s eyes had narrowed to thin slits and his face was blank of all emotion except for rage.  He was clearly sober now, and that realization terrified Aries.  She took a half step back only to be punched in the jaw.  The force behind his fist sent her spiraling to the ground.  She skidded across the floor, her arm scraping painfully against the rough concrete floor.  A pained bleat left her lips as her skidding stopped.  She twisted her body, trying to push herself back onto her feet, when suddenly Shin was at her side, slamming his large foot into her unprotected side.

 

She grunted through her clenched teeth as she fell back down.  Hot tears squeezed past her eyelids as Shin’s violent attack continued.  She felt her strength leave her with every one of Shin’s kicks.  Pathetic whimpers came from her throat as she felt a few of her ribs crack under the force of her beating.  Shin felt her bones start to break under his foot and started to laugh cruelly.

 

_Damnit, I can’t die like this!  I wanted to see the world!  I wanted to make friends!  I will not die a slave!_

 

Aries struggled to lift her head and glare at the tall man.  He caught her glaring and placed the heel of his shoe against the back of her head, pushing her head back down and grinding her cheek against the concrete floor.

 

“It’s a pity I have to kill you here, Ram.  But, you’ve outlived your value.  The captain won’t be pleased, but there isn’t a shortage of slaves to be bought,” he sneered down at her, an evil smirk stretched across his thin lips.  As Shin ground her head into the floor, the skin around her horns started to burn and itch again.  Her rough horns began to shrink as more hot tears fell from her eyes.

 

“ARIES!” Luffy shouted abruptly, his deafening voice caught everyone in the bar off guard.  Aries forced her eyes open and stared at the older boy.  Her dark blue eyes appeared almost black, her pupils had dilated so much.

 

As her eyes met his, the world seemed to stand still.  There were no words shared between them.  The look in his dark eyes said it all.

 

_Kick his ass._

 

Those three words echoed in her head, every echo seemed to get louder and louder, until the words were practically being screeched in her ears.  Her dilated pupils constricted into tiny dots as her heart rate picked up.  That cocky smirk worked its way back onto her lips.  Luffy smirked back and gave a tiny nod.

 

And just like that, a moment that seemed to last minutes, was over in a few seconds.  Their connection was broken.

 

As her smirk stretched wider, her brown horns spiraled out of her head wildly.  They grew so long and fast that they ended up stabbing Shin though the ankle.  The man let out a surprised wail and jerk his leg away from her, stumbling back a few steps.  The blonde flipped onto her back, rolled back so her legs were tucked into her chest and her palms were flat of the ground above her shoulders, and sprung back onto her feet.

 

Her foe’s face was twisted into a vicious snarl, his aura screaming murder.  “You’re dead!!” he spat at her, trying to move towards her, but his injured leg was almost useless.

 

Aries gave him a wicked grin as she knocked her knuckles together, her fleece fighting gloves making small clanging sounds not normally heard from wool.  The more she hit them together, the louder the noise became.  The grin on her face grew as Shin backed away.

 

Zoro and Luffy watching on, both confused by Aries’ sudden change in personality.

 

“You know Shin,” she paused, holding her fist up by her face, inspecting her glove, “I’ve had enough of your shit.”

 

In a flash, she was beside the tall, burly man, her tightly clenched fist pounded into his right cheek.  His head whipped to the side, a bloody tooth flying out of his mouth due to the force of the attack.  His heavy body dropped to the floor but he was able to quickly get back up, cautious of his injured ankle.  The evil look in his eyes had been replaced by pure fear and confusion.

 

The young teen girl held her fist out in front of her, the normally white wool was stained red with blood.  Her eyes drifted over the red stains, trying to remember if it was hers or Shin’s.  “Are you gonna beg for your pathetic life?  Huh, Shin?  Aren’t you gonna beg for mercy?”  Her harsh blue eyes glared daggers at him.  She punched her fists together again and said loudly, “Steel Wool: Iron Fist!”

 

The white fleece fighting gloves quickly took on a silver sheen as Aries let loose a flurry of punches in Shin’s direction.  The bones in the man’s face broke under the blows, blood streaming from the numerous cuts littering his skin.  Her attacks felt like he was being hit by a cannonball over and over again.

 

A loud war cry tore from Aries’ throat as she launched one last attack to Shin’s abdomen.  Shin crumbled to the ground, unconscious.  The blonde girl stood over her opponent, gasping for breath, but victorious.  She heard the cheers from Luffy, but they sounded fuzzy to her ears.  She stared down at the body of the man that had made her life a living hell for the past four years.  Her legs felt like jelly as she knelt down by his head.  She threaded her fingers in his short brown hair and roughly yanked his head off the floor.

 

“Fuck you, Shin.  I’m free now.” she growled in his ear before slamming his forehead against the floor.  She released him from her grasp and slowly stood up again, taking her first deep breath as a free woman.


	7. Chapter Seven

** Chapter Seven **

** Captain vs Captain **

****

As Aries came down from her adrenaline-induced high, the loud, triumphant shouts from the rubber boy became clear.  She felt her muscles relax and the itch around her horns came back as they slowly spiraled back into her scalp slightly.  She scratched behind them absentmindedly as her eyes drifted over to the pair of teens on the other side of the bar.

 

"That was amazing!  You totally kicked his ass!  You gonna join my crew now, right?!" Luffy asked excitedly, bouncing on his feet.  His black eyes shone bright in the little light that came in through the grimy windows.  His thin lips stretched into his usual childish grin.

 

Zoro didn't say anything.  He stood silently to the side, his bulky arms crossed over his chest.  She felt his eyes trace her horns and hands, but she ignored the heat of his stare.  Aries focused her attention, instead, on Luffy.  She searched his toothy grin and bright eyes for signs of deceit or ill-will.

 

Her deep blue eyes wandered over his chapped lips that were still spread tight against his teeth, his small scar underneath his eye, and the joyful, rosy color in his cheeks.  She grimaced as her two sides started a war in her mind.  Her animal instincts sensed no dark intentions but her memories were telling her to run.  To run and not to look back.  That pirates couldn't be trusted.

 

A loud cough from the swordsman broke her out of her thoughts.  She quickly blinked a few times before turning her attention to him.

 

"I thought you said you didn't know how to use your devil fruit powers," he growled, his eyes narrowing into an even harsher glare than before.

 

At first, Aries stared blankly at him, confused by his accusation, but when she opened her mouth to question him, flashes of her fight with Shin suddenly hit her.  She looked down at her hands, unclenched her fists, and let out a nervous laugh.

 

"Yeah, I guess my instincts just took over…" she said softly, scratching the back of her head.  "And Luffy?"

 

The young captain stopped poking Shin's unconscious form and looked up at her from his crouched position.

 

"I will consider your offer after we find Captain Coyote and get him to hold up Shin's part of our deal."  She spoke through gritted teeth.  She couldn't help but feel sticky, making a deal with a couple of pirates, but she knew they were most likely her only chance at freedom.

 

Luffy blinked dumbly and stuck his pinky in his ear.  "Oh yeah, I forgot about him."

 

The sheep girl shook her head, more of her blonde bangs getting stuck in the drying blood on her forehead.  She gingerly stood and made her way towards her pile of discarded items.

 

She let her weight pull her back down to the floor as she sat in front of her things.  She reached out to pull her socks closer to her, when she noticed the numerous scrapes on her legs and the bottom of her feet.  She slides on her socks and ankle boots, and stands up, carefully stepping on her tender soles.

 

Aries stumbled over to what was left of the shattered mirror behind the bar.  Her callused fingers brushed over the large scrape on her forehead.  She also noticed her swollen cheek, busted lip, and several smaller cuts and darkening bruises along parts of her face and upper body.

 

"I look like shit…" she muttered to herself.  Without warning, a crippling pain struck her, bringing her to her knees.  "Fuck!" she cursed loudly, her hands rushing to cover her bleeding abdomen.  She peeled her hands away, her dirty gloves stained red with fresh blood.

 

_How did I not notice my stitches busting?  Did it happen during the fight?  Well… that's a dumb question.  Of course it did.  But why don't I remember?  Now that I think about it… I don't remember much of what happened after we entered the bar.  Must've been hit in the head a few too many times…_

 

She gripped her wool spool and let her powers kick in.  The wool crawled up her arm, around her shoulder, and then wrapped tightly around the wounded area.  The sting of the pain increased for a moment, her breathing becoming labored, but the bleeding stopped.

 

Slowly raising up, she saw Luffy and Zoro crouched next to Shin's unconscious form.  The green-haired swordsman grumbled to himself as he poked the older man with his white sheath.  Luffy just laughed through his teeth, carefree as always.

 

"You did a real number on him, Sheep-girl," Zoro complained, "Too much of a number.  He's out cold!  And we needed him to lead us to his captain."

 

Aries let out an apologetic bleat as she stepped closer to the pair of boys.  Luffy laughed again and let his eyes follow the blonde girl as she stopped on the opposite side of Shin's body.

 

"Ya know, when I used to fall asleep at the bar, the mayor had a special way of waking me up."  His loud voice seemed to echo in the small room which only enhanced his mischievous tone.  "Zoro!  Help me roll him over!"

 

Zoro raised an eyebrow and helped his captain flip Shin onto his back.  Aries crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Luffy squat by the drunkard's head.  The pirate captain grinned widely before sticking both his index fingers in his mouth.

 

Zoro laughed as Luffy shoved his wet fingers in Shin's ears while Aries watched appalled.  Shin's eyes shot open and he quickly knocked the laughing teen's hands away.  The first-mate of the Coyote pirates made a move to attack but stopped when he felt a sharp blade against his throat.

 

"You move, I cut your throat." Zoro growled.

 

Shin gritted his teeth, his sharp eyes glaring at the teens gathered around him.

 

"What do you want from me?" he spat at them.

 

"You’re going to take us to Captain Coyote," Aries answered quietly.

 

The room was silent for a moment before Shin's loud laughter erupted from his mouth. The two boys hardened their expressions, and the girl paled as the harsh laughs bounce around in her ears.

 

"You gotta be kidding me.  You actually wanna go find the Captain?  And then what?  Tell him you're leaving?"  He laughed again.  Zoro pressed his blade harder against Shin's thick neck, causing a few beads of blood to bubble against his skin's surface.  Shin looked up at him and raised his hands, palms out.

 

"Fine, I'll take you to him, but I have a catch."

 

Luffy crossed his arms and cocked his head, "What is it?"

 

Shin left his hands in the air, his face stone cold.  "After I lead you to the Captain, you kill me before he kills you.  Because he isn't gonna be happy with me."

 

Luffy frowned, "We're not gonna kill you."

 

Shin scoffs, "What Captain Coyote will do to me is much worse than death.  You'd be doing me a solid by killing me."

 

The boys turned to Aries, their eyes locked on her face.  She shifted her gaze between them, a questioning look on her face.

 

"What!?" She finally asked when she tired of the awkward silence.

 

"Well, it's your call what we do," Luffy said simply.

 

"This guy made your life hell.  So you get to decide what happens to him," Zoro finished.

 

Aries gaped at the pair of pirates, shocked speechless for a few moments before her words returned to her.  "I am not making that call!  I'm not going to lower myself to his level!" she shrieked.

 

Neither of them spoke.  The blonde girl nervously bounced on her feet and winced slightly at the stinging pain.  She worried her swollen lip and took a step forward.  She passed her hand over what was left of her wool spool, the material becoming liquid-like, swimming around her fingers and forming a large, dense ball in her hand.

 

She knelt down behind Shin and whispered, "Wool-Wool Bind."  The ball jumped out and spread around Shin's upper body, pinning his arms to his sides.  She then pressed her palm against his back, slowly pulling out a thin rope to get him under her control.

 

"We hand him over to the captain, maybe he will be willing to exchange his first mate for my freedom…" she trailed off.

 

"And if he isn't?" Zoro asked, once again crossing his arms.

 

"Then we hand them both over to the Marines," she spoke quietly, her voice menacing.

 

Luffy and Zoro nodded, and Aries pushed Shin towards the door, the boys following close behind.  "Lead the way, Sheep-girl."

 

 

Shin lead the trio down the back alleys of Bazaar Island.  They took odd turns ever so often and seemingly walking in circles.  They traveled mostly in silence; their thoughts occasionally interrupted by snide comments from the drunkard.

 

"He's gonna kill ya.  Ya know that, right?"  His words coming out slurred thanks to his newly broken jaw.  He had made a move to kill himself and Aries socked him in order to keep him under control.

 

The group ignored his threats and Shin became increasingly more annoyed at the lack of response.

 

"Do ya have any clue what the Captain is capable of?  He will kill yer friends here, and lock ya back up, probably never to see daylight again.  And me, well. I'll be at the bottom of the sea before we get a mile out," he laughed bitterly to himself.

 

Aries ground her teeth together in frustration and shoved Shin forward in an effort to get him to move faster.  "Quit stalling and take us to Captain Coyote."

 

Shin glared at her over his shoulder, "He should be right over there.  In that building."  He looked ahead of him again.  "He has been hiding in plain sight.  Right under your nose and you never knew.  He really is a wolf in sheep's clothing."  He laughed to himself again, his blood-stained teeth showing through his busted lips.

 

Their prisoner stopped right before the entrance to a particularly dark alley that struck Aries as familiar.  She glanced around the far end of the alley that emptied out into a busy street.  On the ground was a small, shiny object as well as two small smears on the pavement.

 

The hair on the back of Aries' neck stood up as memories from earlier in the day came back to mind.  This was the alley behind the auction house.  She grit her teeth and shoved her elbow into Shin's broken ribs.

 

"Why are we back here, Shin?!" she growled as her captive hunched over in pain.  "Why did you bring us back to the auction house?"

 

Shin glared at her and spit bloody saliva at her feet.  "The Captain is here to collect his payment for you.  He should still be here."

 

Luffy walked in front of the group and inspected the other entrance to the alley.  "Hey Sheep-girl, is this where we found you this morning?" he asked.

 

"Yes," she answered plainly, “This is the rear exit of the auction house.  This is where I was sold to that noble that wanted to kill me."

 

Zoro and Luffy both turned their heads to examine the building.  They stood silently in the shadow of what appeared to be an ordinary shopping complex building, trying to imagine what really went on within its walls.

 

Aries felt her arms tremble as her eyes kept glancing at the red smear on the ground that she created only a few hours prior.  She wanted nothing more than to run away from this place and escape her memories of the last few years.

 

Without warning, the old wooden door creaked open and a hooded figure emerged from the darkness within.  The newcomer stopped mid-stride when he laid eyes on the other people in the alley.  Zoro drew his sword and Luffy raised his fists in preparation of a fight, but were surprised by a shout from the blonde girl behind them.

 

"Oki!"  She rushed a couple of steps forward, shoving Shin's leash into Zoro's hand, and moved closer to the hooded man.

 

"Aries?" he pushed down his hood, revealing his golden eyes and bandana-covered hair.  His eyebrows pinched together in confusion as he watched the girl limp towards him.  She reached out to him and he gently took a hold of her smaller hands.

 

"What's going on, Aries?  What are you doing here?" Oki asked, his voice rough and quiet.  "I heard the Marines talking about a noble found beaten.  Then inside they told me that was your buyer?"

 

"He tried to kill me, Oki.  I mean… he wasn't the first to try… but this one didn't even wait till we made it into private.  He just… attacked…" she whispered, shivering.  "If it weren't for them," she nodded towards the two boys, "I wouldn't be here."

 

Oki's sharp gold eyes left her face and slowly traced over Luffy and Zoro before focusing on the beaten and bound Shin.  The older man jerked against the swordsman's hold, an expression of fear taking over the once cocky smirk.

 

Oki glared at him, releasing Aries' hands, and sauntered over to his crew mate.  "And what happened to him?"  He glanced over his shoulder at the girl behind him.

 

Her face lit up with a tired, yet bright smile.  "I won, Oki.  I finally beat him.  That's why we're here.  We're looking for the Captain, to make him hold up his end of the deal.  So he can set me free."

 

Aries let a tired laugh escape her lips before asking her friend a question.  "Do you know where the Captain is, Oki?  Shin said he'd be here collecting money.  Is he still inside?"

 

Suddenly, the air in the alley was tense.  Aries noticed that her new friends were both prepared for a fight; their eyes locked on the other pirate walking towards their captive.  Shin once again jerked at his bindings, backing away and into the wall behind him.

 

"I thought you said that you couldn't lose.  Especially to a little girl.  Pathetic."  Oki stopped directly in front of the much bigger man.  "And it looks like you really got your ass handed to you."

 

Luffy slowly moved to put himself between Aries and Oki, the muscles in his back tense.  The blonde felt her jaw fall open in shock.  "Oki?  What… Why would you say that?"

 

She stepped out from behind the rubber boy, her hands balled up tightly at her side.  "Were you just pretending to be my friend?" she whispered quietly, her voice being carried by the breeze.

 

The man turned back towards her, his gold eyes glowing in the building's shadow.  His body suddenly started growing fur and getting taller; pointed ears and a bushy, matted tail materialized seemingly out of nowhere on him.  The once normal-sized man was now an intimidating beast towering over everyone.

 

"Of course I was pretending, you stupid girl.  Why would I want to lose my four-year investment?" his growl echoed off the stone walls that surrounded them.  "You have been nothing but an annoyance though.  I probably should've let that first guy keep you, and saved myself from the last couple of years stuck with your whining."

 

Large tears fell down Aries' face, her back pressed against the wall behind her.  She could still make out the large, hateful grin that lined his snout through her blurry vision.  She shook her head, strands of hair sticking to the wet trails on her cheeks.  The beast swiped his claw down Shin’s body, slicing the skin on his face, neck, and upper body to ribbons, before he swatted the other two pirates out of his way.  She didn’t register the gurgling noises coming from their direction, the only thing she could hear were her thoughts.

 

_No.  This can't be… Oki can't…. He isn't…_

 

Oki took giant steps towards her.  He stood before her, covering her shivering form with his dark shadow.  He raised his claw-like hand, and caught one of her many tears on his sharp nails.  "Ya know, we don't have to do this," he spoke to her quietly.

 

Aries looked into his cold, golden eyes, searching for the man she once thought to be a friend inside them.  "Do w-what?" she choked out, her throat closed up with held in sobs.

 

Oki gestured to the others in the alley.  "This!" he exclaimed, exasperated.  "I don't want to kill your little friends, but I'm going to.  I mean, they know who I am now, so they have to go.  But you… you, my dear, don't have to die.  In fact, I would prefer not to kill you, but if you continue disobeying me, then I will have no other choice."

 

The young girl tilted her head back more in order to see more of her "captain."  She shook her head slowly, the thoughts of her dirty cell filling her mind.

 

The coyote-man puffed all the air out of his lungs in frustration before taking a deep breath.  "How about I give you more freedom on the ship.  You can have free rein during the day."

 

"No." Aries answered before she could even consider the idea.  "No." she repeated as she watched the fake generous expression quickly fade from the monster in front of her.  "I don't want to go back…  I won’t go back!"

 

Her dark blue eyes darted to his claws, watching fearfully as he raised it in front of him.  She knew she wasn't fast enough to get out of the way of the coming attack, not with her side in such poor condition.  All she could do was close her eyes, and brace herself for the pain.  Just like she had done so many times before.

 

"What do you think you're doing, boy?"  Oki's deep growl echoed off the stone walls that encased them.

 

She opened her eyes quickly to see Luffy standing in front of her protectively, Oki’s hand gripped tightly in his fist.  She stares wide-eyed at his back, the little cuts on her face burning because of her salty tears.  She reached out to tug gently on his red vest, when Oki launched a fast punch at Luffy’s face, sending the boy flying into her and both of them crashing through the stone wall behind them.

 

“Luffy!” Zoro yelled out, drawing his blade and running to fight off the threatening Captain.

 

The black-haired boy groaned and rolled onto his stomach, pushing up to sit back on his knees.  He wiped his busted lip with the back of his fist, his cheeks smudged with dirt.  A tiny whimper from behind him caused him to turn his head.  Aries was lying in a heap next to him, her knees curled up close to her chest.  More tears dripped from under her closed eyelids, her teeth clenched together tight.  Luffy pushed several pieces of rubble off her shivering form, his eyes roaming her body making sure she wasn’t seriously injured.

 

“You okay?” he asked her, his rough hand gently touching her bare shoulder.

 

She opened her eyes and nodded stiffly, shifting to sit up.  She let her back hit a turned over table, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist.  “I-I’m alright…” she coughed out, trying to hide the blood she knew was in her mouth.  The thick, copper taste almost made her gag.

 

Luffy got back to his feet, his arms swaying limply with his body’s movement.  He reached up, pulled his treasured straw hat off his head, and dropped it in Aries’ lap.  “Watch this for me,” he mumbles to her as he rotates his right arm to loosen up his shoulder.  She nodded absently, her eyes drifting in and out of focus as she fought to stay conscious.

 

Zoro had jumped to his captain’s protection moments after Oki’s attack, but his still healing wound caused his swings to be choppy and nowhere near as fluid as they should be.  He could feel the stitches in his chest tugging with every swing and dodge.  He knew he had to finish this quickly, his aching arms already struggling to hold his blade up.  He went in for another attack, bringing the blade above his head, hoping to cut a few tendons in the coyote-man’s arm, but his opponent was much quicker.

 

Oki slammed his bulky shoulder into Zoro’s chest, knocking both the air from his lungs and his blade from his hands.  The man’s vision went black for a few seconds as his body slid along the alley’s street.  He finally came to a rest just outside the opening to the alley, almost lying in the cobblestone street.

 

The much larger man laughs his gravelly chuckle, his sharp teeth flashing in the setting sunlight.  “You have no idea what you’re doing.  You’re just children playing pirates.  You’re weak.” he said, turning from Zoro’s unconscious form to Luffy.  Oki almost faltered under the intensity of the younger boy’s glare, but instead he just continued to grin his cruel smile.

 

“I tell ya what,” Oki started, turning to face Luffy completely, his hands opening and closing sporadically, “if you can beat me, I just might agree to let go of my precious Lamb.”

 

Luffy bares his teeth and runs forward, his fist stretched back, ready to strike.  He continued punching, but Oki succeeded in blocking a majority of them with his strong forearms.  The few punches that hit exposed areas only caused minimal damage.  The coyote-man catches Luffy’s last strike and the two stare at each other in silence for a few uninterrupted moments.

 

“It isn’t right to hold people prisoner.” Luffy growled out through gritted teeth.  “And no one deserves what you put her through.  I’ll make sure you never lay a hand on Aries again.  And you will pay for what you’ve done to her.”

 

He yanks his fist out of Captain Coyote’s grip and jumped into the air, his leg stretching up towards the clouds above.  “Gum-Gum…!”

 

While Luffy prepared for his attack from above, his opponent’s golden eyes glinted menacingly as he took a deep breath.  “Coyote Howl.” he whispered before unleashing a shrill, ear-splitting howl.  Windows up and down the alley and surrounding streets shattered, showering pedestrians and the pirates with broken shards of glass.  People all around bent over, covering their ears, their own screams adding to the mix.  Aries whimpered in pain as she covered her head with the straw hat, her fingers tightly gripping the rim.

 

Even in the air, Luffy couldn’t escape the piercing sound.  He winced as he brought one hand up to cover the ear that was facing the ground, which was all the opening Oki needed to jump up past the dark haired boy and smack him back down to earth.  Luffy’s body bounced off the stone road, but Oki was back on top of him, grabbing his head to smash back into the street.  Then Oki, still gripping the boy’s head, flung him into the wall opposite Aries.

 

Oki takes a few huffing breaths before speaking in his usual condescending tone, “What makes you think that a rookie pirate like you stands a chance against me, the great, mysterious Captain Coyote?”

 

Luffy pressed his knuckles against the smooth cobblestone, forcing his shaking limbs to support his weight.  Once he was on his feet, he leveled his glare on the imposing figure before him.  “You okay, Zoro?” he called, his eyes quickly glancing in the direction he’d last seen his friend.

 

Zoro stumbled back to the alley opening, calling out that he was fine, though his hand was pressed against his bleeding wound.  Oki cackled at the pair, his disgust with them blatantly obvious.  “Are you deaf or just stupid, kid?  I’m gonna kill all of you, don’t you get that?” he points at Luffy, his long claw inches away from his nose.

 

Hearing Oki threaten her new “friends,” Aries pulled herself up using the table as support, her blood running down her bare legs, completely ruining the shorts Nami had given her.  She pushed off the wall and stood quietly behind Oki, her gloves silently stretching into a long, thin rope.  She wrapped both ends of the wool rope around her hands and crouched.  Then, without warning, she launched herself onto Oki’s back, choking him with her new impromptu weapon.

 

She bared her bloodstained teeth in pain as the fearsome captain thrashed in her hold.  She wrapped her legs around his arms as an attempt to gain some sort of control.  She knew it wouldn’t last so she turned her attention to the boys.

 

“Go!” she shouted, “Get out of here!  Please!”

 

Luffy moved closer to the struggle, picking up his fallen hat.  “I’m not leaving until you join my crew,” he said simply, placing his hat back on his head.

 

Aries groans, tugging the rope tighter around the man’s throat, “Why are you so stubborn?  I’m trying to save your-”

 

Before she can finish her sentence, Coyote grabbed her by her shirt and slammed her against the road, back first.  She couldn’t stop the spurt of blood that came out of her gaping mouth, and she rolled onto her side to cough up more blood.  Her body was now a mess of shudders and pain, her limbs twitching randomly as her nerves tried to deal with the overwhelming sensation.

 

Coyote’s foot stepped on her head, but he didn’t apply much pressure.  Instead, he used his weight to force her head to continuously knock her bleeding nose against a sharp jagged stone, deepening the cut across her cheek.

 

“You’re pathetic, Lamb.  Absolutely weak.  And I don’t believe for a second that it was actually you that beat up Shin.  I just don’t see how that is possible, considering how fucking weak you are.” he spat venomously as her, finally grinding her face against the sharp rock painfully.

 

“She isn’t weak!” Luffy shouted, punching Oki in the side of the face, sending him spiraling away from the trio.  Oki was able to right himself before hitting the ground and pounced back towards Luffy, a furious snarl across his muzzle.  The much larger captain slammed his shoulder into Luffy’s chest, sending both of them out into the open street.  Mid-flight, the rubber boy grabbed the back of Oki’s jacket and pulled, using their momentum to flip their positions, which caused Oki to be the one to hit the ground first.

 

The moment he hit the stone street, Luffy jumped away, rolling back to his feet, prepping for his next flurry of attacks.

 

“She stood up to you!  Even though she was hurt and scared!  That isn’t weak!  That means that she’s strong!  Much stronger than you, you big coward!” he yelled as he unleashed his barrage of punches.  He felt his fists connect with the man’s cheeks, nose, chest, arms, throat, and anywhere he saw an opening.  He noticed Captain Coyote was trying to bring his arms up to guard his face; he didn’t want to give him that chance.

 

He screamed as he pulled his fist back farther than the others, “Gum-Gum Pistol!”  He let the punch fly, striking Oki square in his chest.  All of the air rushed out of his lungs as he dug his toes into the street, trying to stop his sliding backwards.  Luffy yanked his arm back, the limb snapping back to its normal length, and he takes a couple of running steps closer.  He, then, flung both arms backwards, his eyes locked on his opponent’s doubled over form.

 

“Gum-Gum…” he started, narrowing his eyes slightly.  A brief pause filled the air causing Captain Coyote to raise his head out of curiosity.  He had opened his mouth, about to make a snarky comment but the words died on his tongue as he saw the double palm strike headed towards him at an alarming rate.  He didn’t even get a chance to think about running before Luffy’s palms hit him once again in the chest.  “BAZOOKA!”

 

The force of the hit knocked the coyote-man into the closest building, creating a man-sized dent in the wall.  As the dust settled, Oki’s transformation faded until the normal sized human fell face first onto the ground.  He groaned, using his arms to roll himself onto his back, only to have a piece of paper cover his face.  He lifted his arm with great difficulty, seeing as his whole body felt like it was made of lead, and looked at the poster.

 

“Wow… that’s not fair…” he choked out, staring at Luffy’s toothy grin on his wanted poster; His mind trying to wrap itself around how his young opponent had a 30 million beli bounty.  “He doesn’t look that strong…”  His arm fell back down at his side, his eyes falling shut as he passed out from his pain.

 

Aries watched in amazement from her place back in the alley, the cuts on her face burning from the salt from her tears.  She pulled herself to her feet, transforming the wool rope back into her gloves, and stumbled towards Luffy.  She tripped several times, but she never fell.  As she passed the dark haired boy, she gently tugged on his hand before continuing towards the man she thought was her friend.

 

Her thoughts were loud in her ears as she stared down at Oki.  _I thought he was my only friend.  He lied to me.  He did this to me.  He imprisoned me.  He sold me to the highest bidder.  He didn’t care about what happened to me.  He doesn’t deserve to live another day._   She bent her head down, letting her bangs shroud her eyes.  She carefully crouched down next to his unconscious body, her mouth almost brushing against his ear as she whispered, “I win.  I am free from you.”

 

She couldn’t contain her grin as the words left her mouth.  Her split lip tugged painfully as the skin stretched over her teeth but she didn’t care.  For the first time since before she ate her devil fruit, she felt true happiness.  She let out a laugh as she shifted her weight to sit on the ground.  It was then that she noticed the piece of paper in Oki’s hand.  She pried it out his hand and let her eyes roam over the wanted poster.  She felt her eyes widen and she couldn’t stop the loud laughter that erupted from her belly.

 

_30 million beli!  No wonder Coyote seemed like easy prey for him, Luffy’s bounty is twice his.  Who is this kid?_

 

As her laughter subsided, she noticed Zoro had gotten back to his feet and had dragged Shin’s still bleeding body over to rest on the other side of her.  When her eyes met his, for once, she wasn’t frightened of him.  She gave him a smile and, finally, turned her head to face Luffy.

 

The young captain was still standing still in the middle of the road, oblivious to the gathering crowd and the sound of Marines drawing closer.  She gave him a bigger smile, “When do we set sail…” she paused a moment as she held out her hand as the remaining pieces of her wool bindings gathered into its normal spool, “Captain?”

 

Luffy grinned his signature toothy grin and jumped into the air, cheering loudly.  His laughs were contagious as the sound got Aries laughing again.  Even Zoro cracked a grin as he walked over to her.  He extended his hand to her and said, “We all said no to him at first too.”

 

She gave him her hand and he pulled up back onto her feet.  Zoro noticed that her dark blue eyes finally had a light in them that wasn’t there before.  She finally looked like she wanted to be alive.  Zoro released her hand and turned to look behind them.  “Luffy, we gotta go.  Marines are headed this way.”

 

The captain stopped cheering, his grin still present.  “Then let’s get back to the Going Merry and set sail for the Grand Line!”

 

Aries and Zoro nodded, although the girl was confused but decided she would learn everything about her new… crewmates in the next few days.  The trio pushed their way through the crowd, Aries grabbed the back of Zoro’s shirt when he tried to turn down the wrong street, and raced back towards the crew’s ship.

 

Luffy, who was only slightly ahead of the other two, turned his head back towards them, “What do you think Usopp and the others have been up too?”


	8. Chapter Eight

** Chapter Eight **

** Destroying Her Shackles **

****

After Luffy and Zoro left with the blonde sheep girl, Nami turned her attention to the other males on the ship.  She stood in a wide stance, her hands propped on her hips.  Her grin was unsettlingly sinister.

 

“Okay, guys, let’s go!  We probably don’t have a lot of time to pull this off,” she cackled as she walked briskly towards the storage room door that lead to the female quarters.

 

Sanji and Usopp shared confused looks and stood in silence for a couple of moments until the door opened again.  The navigator emerged with a few canvas bags and rope in her hands.

 

“Uh… Nami?  What exactly are we gonna do?” Usopp questioned, running his fingers through his curly hair, wincing as he caught some tangles.

 

She threw the bags and rope to Sanji as she made her way to the ship’s railing.  “Isn’t it obvious?  We are going to steal all of the Coyote Ugly’s treasure right from under their dumb noses,” she smirked back at them before jumping over the railing to the dock below.

 

The blond chef followed quickly behind her, leaving the olive-skinned sniper with his jaw hanging open.  “Whaaaaaat!?” he screamed, scrambling after his friends, his limbs flailing in his usual exaggerated fashion.

 

When all three members reached the entrance to the marina, Nami asked the gate attendant where the other marinas on the island were and if they had restricted access.  The attendant told them about the civilian marina as well as the merchant marina that was located closer to the marketplace so it was easier for them to unload and load their goods.  The young woman nodded, handing him a few bills, and began walking in the direction of the merchant marina.

 

“Nami?  The other civilian docks are the other way.  That’s probably where their ship is anchored,” Usopp questioned, pointing with both hands in the opposite direction.

 

She sighed heavily, looking over her shoulder to glare at the long-nosed boy.  “Yeah, but this crew deals with black market goods so they have to have connections that get them into the special dock.  Otherwise, there would be too much risk involved.  Plus, Aries said the walk from the ship to the building she was sold in wasn’t that long, which means they were anchored near the market.”

 

Usopp stared blankly at her as she continued walking, Sanji running to catch up with her.  The sniper dragged his hand across his face, muttering about know-it-alls and his new dangerous-pirate-crew-itis.  He jogged after them, his lips pulled into a deep frown.  As they walked around the outskirts of the marketplace, the path became less populated.  The fish stalls had closed and the merchants had packed up for the day in order to prepare for their morning fishing expeditions.

 

The man who was supposed to be guarding the entrance to the docks was passed out at his table, half a mug of beer still in his hand.  The trio walked past him quietly and Usopp couldn’t help but snicker at the man’s loud snoring.  About halfway down dock 3, Nami stopped in front of an anchored schooner, it’s yellow and white striped flag waving lacklusterly in the breeze.  Sanji walked a few steps closer to the vessel, his skin crawling under his suit jacket.

 

“Something isn’t right with this ship,” he said to himself, rubbing his arms.

 

Nami nodded in agreement as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth.  She crouched low to the wooden boards and crept up the ramp.  She surveyed the empty deck before motioning for the two boys to follow her.  Sanji opened the heavy grate that led to the lower level of the ship once they made sure the cabin on the deck was vacant.  The few steps down spilled out into a dim, crowded corridor that was lined with crates and other cargo.

 

Usopp took a couple cautious steps towards the bow of the sea vessel when a sneeze from the stern alerted the Straw Hats that they were not alone.

 

“Guards?” Nami whispered, her eyes locked on the open door at the opposite end of the corridor.  Sanji nodded, walking confidently towards the source of the noise.  Nami followed close behind.

 

“See if you can find anything valuable to take down that way, Usopp,” she muttered to the cowardly boy.

 

He gave a shaky thumbs up in response and started walking towards the (hopefully) empty bow once again.

 

* * *

 

 

Barrels full of water and beer were stacked several high along the walls of the corridor.  Crates draped with nets to keep them in place split the walkway in two, creating two lanes.  Usopp looked in every doorway on the port side only to find cannons, weapons, and ammunition in one long room that took up a majority of the ship’s interior, as well as a crowded cabin that must have housed a good portion of the ship’s crew.

 

The next area was storage and tables in the bow of the schooner.  He examined most of the cargo, looking for anything of worth, just like Nami asked, until he came across a large cleared out section tucked back behind a wall of crates.  The sniper inched forward on trembling legs, glancing in every direction in fear of being caught.

 

Outside, the clouds drifted out from in front of the sun, causing bright rays of sunlight to enter through the windows, illuminating Usopp’s surroundings.  He flailed about in a panic until something of the floor caught his eye.

 

Scuff marks, tape, and dark stains marred the wooden surface in the shape of a crude circle.  Upon closer inspection, he released the stains were dried blood that nobody had cared to wipe up.  And from the amount of stains, someone (or ones) bled a lot.

 

_They’re too strong._

 

Aries’s words echoed in his mind as he stared at the floor.  He remembered the purple bruises hidden under her clothes.  He had seen them when he brought the clothes to Nami when they were still all aboard the Merry.

 

“I wonder if some of this is Aries’s blood,” Usopp frowned, his eyebrows pinched together in frustration.  Approaching footsteps snapped him from his thoughts.  Quickly he hid behind the nearest stack of crates and readied his slingshot.

 

* * *

 

 

“How come it’s always us that gets stuck on guard duty?”

 

“Because we suck at rock, paper, scissors.  And none of us wanna stand up to Shin.”

 

Two voices poured out from the room at the end of the passage.  Sanji continued to walk towards the other pirates, his face locked in a steely glare.  Nami stopped just behind him, her brow knitted together.  The blond chef walked forward a few more steps, stopping just outside the threshold as another voice chimed in.

 

“Speaking of Shin, shouldn’t he be back with Aries by now?”

 

Laughter erupted from the room, followed by the slosh of liquid spilling from a glass.

 

“Yeah, maybe Shin is playing with her without us!” he first voice shouted, stirring up the laughter again.

 

“He better not go too far before her fight tomorrow.  That is always the highlight of the time at sea,” the second voice snickered.  “Although, it isn’t as fun when she doesn’t fight back.  Maybe Shin shouldn’t keep her chained up all the time.”

 

“Nah!” the third voice added, “It’s fine, because she always cries.”

 

“Or she gets that crazy look!  Although she hasn’t looked like that in a while.  Probably because Shin is ending the fights sooner.”

 

The trio laughed again.  The harsh sound of their cackles grated against Sanji’s and Nami’s ears.  The orange haired girl shoved the chef forward into the open doorway, her anger boiling hot in her gut.  He stumbled but quickly regained his balance.  The noise from the guards silenced immediately when they noticed the intruder.  Sanji lit a new cigarette nonchalantly, straightening his black suit jacket as he flicked away the spent match.

 

The guards leapt to their feet, knocking over chairs and tables in the process.  The air became tense as both parties waited for the other to make the first move.  Sanji slipped his hands into his pants pockets, letting his cigarette hang between his lips.

 

“Ya know,” he drawled casually, his one visible eye locked on his three opponents.  “I don’t appreciate the things you were saying about my dear Aries-hime.  I think I need to teach you three how to treat a lady.”

 

Nami watched from her spot in the hall, smirked as her friend kicked the other pirates into unconsciousness.  Once all three were taking their unwilling naps, she tossed him a couple lengths of rope.

 

“Tie ‘em up while I steal the treasure,” the navigator commanded, her brown eyes shimmering as she looked at the piles of gold coins, jewels, and bundles of beli bills.

 

Nami finished stuffing the goodies into her bags just as Sanji finished restraining the captives.

 

“Sanji, let’s go find Usopp and get out of here before the other members of the crew come back,” she said, hoisting the two bags over her shoulder.

 

He nodded, plucking his spent cigarette from his lips and stamping it out on the floor.

 

* * *

 

 

Usopp’s hand shook as he released the pocket of his slingshot.

 

“Lead Star!” he shouted just before the bullet struck the floor.

 

“What the hell, Usopp?!  It’s us!” Nami yelled from behind the blond chef who had jumped in front of her to block the projectile.  She stomped around him and punched the sniper on the head.

 

“Ow!  I’m sorry!” he whined, quickly stashing his slingshot.

 

“Did you find anything, Usopp?” Sanji asked calmly.

 

“Not really,” he replied glancing behind him while rubbing the growing lump Nami left.  “Just what looks like a fighting ring.”

 

When his friends didn’t respond, he looked back at them.  Both of their faces were pinched in a combination of anger and sadness.  Nami turned away, shifting her bags on her shoulder.  she wiped at one of her eyes with her free hand, trying to hide her leaking tears.

 

“What’s wrong?” the sniper asked cautiously, his eyes warily following Nami as she walked towards a small table a few feet from the hidden arena. 

 

Sanji bared his teeth, and barked, “Those bastards made Aries fight for her freedom, even when they knew she couldn’t win.”  In his obvious frustration, he kicked a crate, splintering the wood, allowing its contents to spill out onto the floor.  He heaved, his entire body moving with the force of his deep inhales.

 

“Let’s get back to the Merry,” Nami suggested quietly, “Luffy and Zoro are probably back by now.”

 

The three pirates turned together and exited out the threshold at the far end of the room.  As they passed more stacked crates, they came upon a door with a barred window.

 

Sanji walked past it without glancing in.  Usopp gave the door a once over, before quickly following the blond chef.  Nami, on the other hand, stopped in front of the door and peered through the bars into the dim and barren room.  Her heart dropped into her stomach as she noticed that the only thing in the room was a pair of dirty shackles bolted to the far wall.

 

Memories of the map room back at Arlong Park flashed through her mind.  She tried to ignore the burn of her welling tears and clenched her fists at her sides.  She struck the cell door in anger; the action sending a stinging pain up to her wrist.  The noise startled her friends, causing them to whip around to face the source of the sound.

 

The two boys stared at Nami with matching confused expressions for a few silent moments.  Usopp cautiously stepped closer to the navigator.  “Nami?  You okay?” he asked quietly.

 

When she didn’t respond, he walked to her side and asked again, “What’s up, Nami?”  He leaned closer to her, peering around the curtain of orange hair that blocked her face from view.  The sight of her crying face threw him for a loop.  He began to stutter and flail his arms as he attempted to stop the young woman’s tears.  “Nami, what’s wrong?  Why are you crying?”

 

The female rubbed her cheeks with the back of her hand and pointed at the door in front of her.

 

Sanji raised his visible eyebrow and strolled to the offending door, his hands tucked into his pockets.  He glanced through the barred window, his gaze drifted lazily over the empty surfaces.  When he saw the metal restraints glint in the sunlight, he bit down on his extinguished cigarette.  His shoulders tensed as he fought the urge to kick down the door and tear apart the prison with his bare hands.

 

Usopp, still unaware of the reason for his friend’s abnormal behavior, finally turned away from Nami and peered into the cell.  It only took a second for him to realize what it was he was looking at.  His fists shook at his side, just as Nami’s had a few moments prior.  He looked over his shoulder as she cleared her throat.

 

“Can we do for her what Luffy did for me?” she whispered as if talking to herself.

 

The two boys shared a glance and a nod.  “Let’s destroy her prison.” Sanji spoke calmly, despite the anger burning in his chest.

 

Nami gathered the two bags of treasure into her arms and silently retreated to the Merry in order to prepare for their speedy getaway. 

 

Sanji journeyed back to the stern.  He reentered the room where the three guards were still knocked out on the floor.  One by one, he hauled them up to the deck before tossing them (not so gently) onto the dock below.

 

Usopp scurried into the cannon bay, pulling barrels of gunpowder from the corners and placing them strategically throughout the ship.  He then connected all of them with both cloth fuses and gunpowder trails.  He ended the trail in a cluster at the foot of the ladder that led back up to the deck.  The sniper quickly climbed up to the deck and turned to stare down the dark hole.

 

He wordlessly loaded his slingshot and aimed at the large knot he had tied.  “Fire Star!” he shouted, his projectile lighting the cloth a blaze.  He watched the flame begin to travel down the fuses before running at full speed down the ramp to the dock and then all the way back to the Going Merry.

 

Once he was safe aboard the small caravel, he bent over gasping her breath.  He braced his hands on his knees as he wheezed.

 

“Did you take care of it?” Nami asked from the doorway of the kitchen.

 

Usopp nodded and nearly jumped out of his boots at the sound of a massive explosion in the distance.

 

* * *

 

 

The loud blast shook the stone buildings that surrounded the trio of pirates as they weaved through the crowd as quickly as they could.  Luffy leapt into the air as the rumble caused crates of fruit to tumble into their path.  Zoro followed the captain’s lead, jumping over the mess without a second thought.  Aries, who had been trailing slightly behind the two boys, had to vault over the unfortunate stall owner in order to avoid a collision.  She placed both hands on the man’s back and used her forward momentum to carry her body over his hunched form.  The action brought back memories of playing “leapfrog” with other kids back home.

 

“Sorry!” she yelled, waving in apology as she fell back into step with the others.

 

“What was that?” Zoro wondered aloud.

 

“Cannon fire?” Aries offered nervously, her side throbbing with every step.

 

“Let’s get back to the Merry and get outta here,” Luffy said as he picked up the pace.

 

Zoro and Aries nodded and matched his speed.  The sheep girl winced, her right hand pressed to her still bleeding side.  _Damn. More busted stitches._

 

Finally, the end of the market came into view.  At the edge of the pier, the Straw Hat’s jolly roger was clearly displayed on the unfurled sails of the Going Merry.  The vessel was moving slowly across the water, signaling that it was time to leave.

 

“Hurry up, you idiots!  The Marines are on to us!” Nami’s loud voice rang from the ship.  “We gotta go!”

 

“Okay!” Luffy answered, suspiciously cheery.  He reached backwards, his arm stretching far enough for his hand to wrap around Zoro’s forearm, never once missing a step.

 

“Luffy!  Don’t you dare!” the swordsman shouted, his neutral expression replaced with a panicked one, sweat drops forming on his forehead.

 

The dark haired captain just laughed cheerfully in response.

 

Zoro grit his teeth and turned his head to look at Aries.  “You’re gonna want to hold on tight,” he said through his teeth.  He extended his free hand to her.

 

She gave him a worried look, but placed her hand in his anyway.  The moment his hand wrapped around hers, he wrenched her off her feet.  She let out a shocked bleat as she left the ground and found herself tucked against the green haired man’s side with her arms pinned between them.

 

“Hold on,” he growled, tensing his muscles as if preparing for another tough fight.

 

Before she could voice her thoughts, she noticed Luffy’s other arm stretching into the distance in front of them.

 

“Gum-Gum…”

 

Zoro tightened his grip on both his captain’s arm and his new crew mate.

 

“Rocket!”

 

The three teens were yanked into the air.  Aries tried to scream, but could not muster the sound.  The wind rushed harshly past her head, tangling her hair even more around her horns, as their captain pulled them along.

 

Then, suddenly, it all stopped.  A feeling of weightlessness came over her as if she was floating.  She pried her eyes open and was greeted with the sight of a seemingly endless blue sea that spanned farther than the horizon.

 

The cackle of Luffy’s laughter brought her out of her moment.

 

“Going down!” he said through his laughs.

 

She then noticed the pull of gravity summoning them back to solid ground.  With nothing but open waters below them.

 

This time, the girl had no problem releasing her shrill scream.  The trio dropped fast, like rain in a storm.

 

“Luffy!  If we hit the Merry going this fast, we’re gonna go straight through to the seafloor!” Zoro yelled, a twinge of fear noticeable in his tone.

 

Aries wasn’t sure what happened in the next few moments.  They were still falling quickly, but Zoro now had both arms wrapped around her as if acting like a shield.

 

“Gum-Gum Balloon!”

 

Impact.  Then another bout of weightlessness.  Another impact.  Then nothing.

 

She only opened her eyes when she felt the swordsman’s death grip on her frame slacken.  She turned her head to the side slightly only for her vision to be filled with the sight of polished wooden boards.  Zoro coughed once, one of his arms unwrapping from around her back in order to rub the back of his sore head.

 

“Luffy!  That was idiotic!  What were you thinking?!  Wait, you weren’t thinking!” Nami yelled at the still laughing rubber man.

 

The blonde girl glanced over at the bickering pair for a second, patting Zoro on the shoulder as a sign of gratitude.  She struggled to stand up, stumbling as her vision blurred around the edges.

 

Two hands carefully grabbed her upper arms, their hesitation painfully obvious in their trembling fingers.

 

“Aries!  Are you okay?!  What happened?  Did you rip your stitches?”

 

When her vision cleared, she recognized Usopp, the long nosed boy.  She gave him a strained smile, her split lip tugging awkwardly at the motion.

 

“One question at a time, please,” she joked weakly as she focused on staying on her feet.

 

“Let’s get moving before the Marines show up.  I don’t feel like explaining why we blew up a pirate ship that was disguised as a merchant vessel,” Nami said in a frustrated manner.  She ran her fingers through her short orange hair as she briskly walked to the helm.

 

“You blew up another pirate ship?!” the young captain exclaimed, running to the figurehead, trying to see any remaining evidence.

 

Aries allowed her eyes to follow the black haired boy’s movements, which led her eyes to the column of brown smoke bellowing up into the sky.  The smoke became darker the closer the Going Merry got to the raging fire.  The burning ship became visible as the caravel rounded the outer edge of another marina.  The flames were burning through the weathered boards and the fabric of the sails.

 

The main flag that hung at the top of the main mast seemed familiar to her.  She blinked slowly, trying to focus her tired brain on how she knew the flag, however numerous shouts from the pier distracted her from her goal.

 

Marines were flooding the pier, arresting shocked sailors who could only stare at the now sinking remains of their vessel.  A group of women that were being handcuffed and shoved down the path caught her eyes.

 

_Is that… the prep team?  D-did they…?_

 

Aries whipped her head back to face Usopp and stared at him, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.  The sniper shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck in an embarrassed manner, a red flush dusting his olive colored cheeks.

 

“We saw where they had you stay and we couldn’t let you go back to that,” he said simply, not able to look her in the eye.

 

He yelped in surprise as the shorter female threw herself into his chest, her loud sobs shaking her frame.  He looked at everyone else for some sort of assistance, panicking slightly when he could not stop her cries.  When no one offered immediate help, he nervously placed his hand on the back of her head.

 

Luffy walked back over to his crewmates as the girl’s sobs grew softer.

 

“Well, Aries,” he started.

 

The sheep girl lifted her head from Usopp’s shoulder and wiped her face, waiting for him to continue.

 

“Welcome to my crew!” he cheered, his toothy grin stretching across his cheeks.

 

She looked at each individual person that stood on the deck, finally beginning to understand what he meant.  Her prison was destroyed and this silly rubber man has kept his word.  He had defeated the elusive Captain Coyote.  She owed this man her freedom.

 

She stared at him, memorizing his happy smile.  In that moment, as her sadness faded from her shoulders, she vowed to help this man achieve whatever it was that he wanted.  She would follow him anywhere.

 

She gave him her best radiant smile in return, despite her injured face.

 

“Thank you, Captain!”


	9. Chapter Nine

** Chapter Nine **

** Crew Introductions **

****

Aries was overwhelmingly lightheaded. She felt her knees buckle and her weight shifted to fall almost completely on Usopp.  The olive skinned boy gripped her arms, trying to keep her upright.

 

“Aries!  Are you okay?” Usopp asked again, his eyes scanning her injured side, trying to gauge how much blood she had lost.

 

The young girl groaned, unable to form a more intelligent response.

 

Nami rushed to the pair’s aid and helped him carry her into the bathroom.  The navigator kicked Usopp out once they propped Aries against the tiled wall.

 

“Go get the first-aid kit from the kitchen while I clean her up.”

 

Usopp nodded quickly, his black curls bouncing with the jerky movement.  He turned on his heel and rushed out of the room, almost desperate to complete his given task.

 

Nami shook her head before returning her attention to her new crewmate.  She ran warm water from the tap, wet a rag, and started gently cleaning her numerous cuts.

 

Usopp returned about five minutes after he scurried out.  He knelt down next to the two girls, the crew’s first-aid kit clutched tightly in his hands.  Once Nami had cleaned all of the open, bloody wounds, the sniper had had time to prepare a clean rag, the disinfectant, the suture kit, and several bandages of varying sizes.

 

Nami set the now rusty colored rag aside and laid her hand on Aries’ shoulder.

 

“This is gonna sting,” she warned sympathetically before pouring the disinfectant directly onto the gash on the blonde’s forehead.

 

Aries clenched her eyes shut tight and visibly grit her teeth.  She let out a sharp hiss of pain, her muscles tensed and awaiting the next dose of the stinging sensation.

 

The rest of the process passed in a blur of pain, the occasional tug of stitches, and the feeling of soft cotton bandages.  Her smaller scratches were left uncovered, while most of the others were hidden under layers of bandages and gauze.  Luckily, the only wound that needed stitches was her original stab wound.  Nami made sure that the sutures were holding well before reminding Aries not to move too much.

 

“I’m not a doctor, so you are going to have to visit one when we get to Loguetown.  Just to make sure everything is okay.” Nami said as she and Usopp repacked the remaining supplies back into the first-aid kit.

 

Usopp gathered up all of the dirty rags and towels, and once again exited the bathroom.

 

After the boy was gone, Nami asked, “You ready to change your clothes?”

 

Aries grimaced at the thought of needing help undressing and dressing, but knew that she would be hard-pressed to even stand unassisted at the moment.  It took a few silent seconds for her to respond to the navigator with a hesitant nod.

 

The older girl moved gently yet quickly knowing the blonde was embarrassed.  Aries moved her wool top and gloves down her body to form a roll on the floor.  Nami then helped her pull a light blue shirt over her head.  Then off came her ruined shorts.  Tugging on the new black pair of shorts over the numerous bandages along her legs was a slow and uncomfortable process.

 

Aries leaned back against the cool tile, letting her strength gradually return to her limbs.  Nami held her hand out in front of the sheep girl’s face, giving her a broad smile.  Aries slid her hand in hers, allowing the older girl to pull her to her feet.  The two made their way back out to the deck, where the rest of the crew still sat.  As they drew closer, the sounds of someone yelling excitedly became apparent.

 

Upon opening the door leading outside, Luffy’s loud voice rang out as he bounced animatedly around the open space.

 

“And then he howled and it was really loud, which caught me off guard, so he was able to knock me back down.  And then Aries jumped on his back and tried to choke him with some rope and it was awesome because she came out of nowhere.  But then he threw her across the street and I jumped in and he didn’t last too long once he got a taste of my Gum-Gum Bazooka.”

 

Luffy waved his arms around excitedly as he spoke, causing Sanji to chuckle as he went back into the kitchen.

 

Usopp, in an effort to not be out done, started to tell the captain about their adventure on board the Coyote Ugly’s ship.

 

“We were ambushed by at least 20 pirates!  I, of course, took them all out with one attack before I rigged the whole place to blow sky high!” he lied easily, his hands finding purchase on his hips.  He tilted his head back, allowing his nose to stick straight up into the air in a semi-arrogant manner.

 

Luffy gasp in amazement and clapped, “That’s amazing, Usopp!  I thought you would be too scared to fight that many guys at once.”  The dark haired boy laughed through his large grin.

 

The sniper let out an indignant noise, crossing his arms in a pout.  Nami rolled her eyes at the pair, her arm still wrapped around Aries’ waist in order to support her.  Aries pulled away from the older girl and slowly limped towards Usopp.

 

The olive-skinned boy opened his eyes at the sound of approaching uneven footsteps and when he realized his injured new crewmate was shuffling to him, he rushed to meet her halfway.  Aries reached out and clenched her hands around the sniper’s slightly larger ones.

 

“I didn’t get to say thank you earlier, so,” she paused, a shy blush dusting her cheeks, “Thank you.  For everything.”

 

Usopp flushed and returned her strong grip.  “Really, it was nothing.”

 

Nami heaved a dramatic sigh, walking past the duo towards her lawn chair on the rear deck.  Luffy sat on the railing beside the tangerine grove, smiling his toothy grin.  Suddenly, the captain gasped and leaned so far forward, he almost fell from his perch on the railing.

 

“Waaaaahhh! We haven’t properly introduced ourselves to Aries yet!” he yelled, his eyes wide in disbelief.

 

Aries blinked slowly, her confusion evident on her face.  She heard Nami and Usopp groan to themselves.

 

The young man leapt down from the railing, his broad grin returning to his face.

 

“My name is Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, and I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!” he shouted cheerfully, never losing his smile.  He turned his eyes to the other boy on the deck expectantly.

 

Usopp nodded erratically, a matching grin growing on his lips.  He took a few steps back from Aries, dropping her hands as he moved, and thrust his thumb into his chest.  “I’m the Great and Powerful Usopp!  Sniper Extraordinar!  I never miss my shot.” he said, looking up at the sky, striking a “mighty” pose.

 

Aries giggled at his antic before turning towards the only other female on board.

 

Nami looked up from her newspaper, one of her eyebrows raised in an unamused arch.  She rolled her eyes at the hopeful and expectant looks from the others.  “Nami.  I’m the navigator.  Don’t touch my tangerines without my permission,” she stated, returning her attention to the paper in her hands, using its pages to hide the hint of a smile appearing on her face.

 

Aries nodded, her lips still pulled into a small smile.  She noticed Luffy whip his head around.  As suddenly as he started his “frantic” search, he stopped.  He reached out, stretching his arm across the short distance to Aries, grabbing her hand, and dragging her behind him as he rushed to the main deck.  They jerked to a stop in front of a napping Zoro.

 

Luffy crouched down next to him and proceeded to tug on his ear.

 

“Zoro!  Wake up!  You need to introduce yourself to Aries!” he shouted, his voice carrying a whiny tone.

 

The green haired man leapt to his feet, snarling as he shoved the captain away from him.  “Geez, Luffy! What gives?  I was taking a nap,” he grumbled.  He rolled his shoulders, his eyes observing his newest crewmate.

 

Aries shuffled her feet shyly, glancing between her bandaged feet and his dark, steely eyes.

 

He sighed, defeated, after a moment’s silence, and ran his hand through his short hair.  “Roronoa Zoro.  Swordsman.” he said simply.  He crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk tugging at his lips when he noticed the pair’s still joined hands.  Aries followed his line of sight and felt her face heat up with a bright red blush.  She pulled her hand from Luffy’s as gently as she could, before offering the swordsman a small, embarrassed smile.  He chuckled quietly as he walked away from the railing and down to the mast, hoping to continue his nap in peace.

 

The sheep girl glanced around the deck, seeking out the one member that was missing from the group’s activities.  As she opened her mouth to ask for the other blond’s location, the kitchen door opened, revealing Sanji carrying a tray with two glasses filled with colorful fruit.

 

“And I, my lovely princess, am Sanji, the cook and resident love expert,” he said bowing at the waist in front of Aries as he handed her one of the two glasses that he carried.  He grinned at the pink flush that once again graced her cheeks.

 

He danced away, still smiling when he handed Nami her glass.

 

Aries popped a piece of kiwi into her mouth happily, a feeling of contentment washing over her.  She ate a few more pieces, humming a little under her breath.  Her dark blue eyes fluttered open, not sure of when she had closed them, and was met with an expectant look from her new captain who had lowered his face to be only a few inches from her nose.  She felt her cheeks heat up once again and her eyes cross in order to watch his face more closely.

 

“Well,” he stretched out the word and paused, his gaze centered on her.  “It’s your turn.”

 

The young girl blinked slowly and leaned away from the dark haired boy.

 

“Wha-what?” she questioned, lowering her glass to rest against her thighs, her blue eyes wide with nervousness.

 

Luffy also leaned away, one corner of his mouth tugged down in a semi-frown.  “It’s your turn to introduce yourself.”

 

“Oh,” she responded, pausing briefly as she processed his words.  “Ooh!” she exclaimed after a moment of awkward silence.  “Okay!”

 

Both hands grasped the glass still in her possession, and the cool temperature was soothing against her sweaty palms.

 

“My name is Aries the Sheep!” she shouted, her voice cracking slightly due to her nerves, “Thank you for accepting me as part of your crew!”  She bowed deeply and gave the crew a bright smile when she straightened up.

 

Luffy and Usopp cheered, grins stretching across their lips.

 

“Welcome!” Usopp shouted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He squeezed her carefully, still aware of her injuries.

 

Aries looked at the group in front of her, a sudden frown pulling her lips down.  She turned to the olive-skinned boy who was still holding her close, and said, “I’m sorry, I don’t have a skill or anything special to contribute to the crew.”

 

“That doesn’t matter,” Usopp reassured her still smiling, “You have plenty of time to figure that out.”

 

The sheep girl couldn’t resist returning his smile before sitting on the deck, her back to the wall next to the kitchen door, and started picking at her fruit cup once again.  A peaceful silence swept over the Going Merry’s deck, everyone basking in the bright sunlight for a brief moment.

 

An unexpected shout broke the peacefulness that had fallen over them.  Aries couldn’t stop the surprised bleat that escaped her throat as she watches the sniper bounce from foot to foot excitedly.

 

“Speaking of time, I think it’s time I try out my new fishing equipment that I picked up on the island!” Usopp said, while rushing towards the hatch by the mast that lead to the boy’s room.

 

Everyone watched the excited long-nosed boy haul a large bag from below deck in a stunned silence.  He began to unpack the sack and lay out everything on the wooden deck in an organized manner.  A few of the pieces looked familiar to Aries causing memories of her father to sweep through her mind.

 

She handed her empty cup to Sanji with a grateful smile and trotted down the steps toward her new friend and his new toys.  She watched him attach a lure and some bait to a new light-weight pole.  She blinked as she stared at his choice of attachments before casting a glance to the water that surrounded them.

 

“Um, Usopp, I don’t think that lure is gonna attract any fish in this part of the sea,” Aries informed him gently, her eyes observing all of the other pieces of equipment that was still laid out.

 

Usopp looked up at her in confusion, “What?”

 

She pointed to the water around them, “We’re out in the deep waters, and that lure is only for shallow water fish.  That bait also won’t work out here.  Most of the fish in the deep sea only eat other fish.”

 

The curly-haired sniper remained silent as he continued to stare at her.

 

Aries flushed in embarrassment and shrugged her shoulders, “I still remember some of the things my dad taught me.”

 

Usopp frowns down at this rig, “The guy at the stall said this rig was fool-proof.”

 

The sheep-girl raised an eyebrow, “Where exactly was he from?”

 

Usopp shrugged before jumping to his feet.  He pointed the tip of the pole at Aries, the plastic end almost brushing against the tip of her nose.  “If you think you know better than the guy who sold me all this stuff, then let’s have a contest!  The one who catches the bigger fish is the one who knows what they’re talking about!”  He grinned excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.  He rushed over to the side of the ship, casting his baited hook far out from the Merry.

 

Aries rolled her eyes, smiling at the boy’s antics, and turned back towards the remaining equipment.  She picked up a single ball weight, rubbing it between her fingers.  Satisfied with the feel of the small sinker, she placed it back in its container, before making her way over to Nami.

 

“Nami,” she addressed the navigator, “What part of the East Blue are we in?”

 

The orange haired girl raised her eyes from her newspaper, one of her thin eyebrows arched.  “We’re in the west part of the East Blue headed towards Loguetown and the entrance to the Grand Line.  Why do you need to know?”

 

“Great!” Aries smiled and turned to face Sanji.  “Sanji, do you have chicken or lean meat pieces that I could use as bait?”

 

“You can have anything you want, Aries-hime~!” the blond cook danced away from her, disappearing into the kitchen.  He emerged from the room holding a plate littered with small chunks of a light pink meat.  He bowed deeply, holding the dish in front of Aries.

 

She smiled, gently taking the plate from him and setting it on the ground next to her chosen equipment.  She quickly threaded the fishing line through a hook, tying a tight knot around the loop, and clipped two weights to the line a few centimeters apart.  She baited the barbed hook with one of the larger pieces of meat, giving the whole rig a satisfied once-over, before limping over to the side of the ship.

 

She allowed her gaze to drift over the small waves that marred the smooth blue water’s surface for a moment.  She took a deep breath, gave the line a bunch of slack, and flung the hook only a few feet out from the side.  She allowed the hook to sink before handing the pole off to Luffy, who accepted it with a confused face.

 

“I won’t be able to reel in a fish with these stitches in my side,” she explained, smiling at her captain.

 

He returned her grin enthusiastically, happily sitting on the railing, eyes trained on the bright yellow float that was keeping the line visible.

 

A minute passed with no change on either line, until Luffy’s arms jerked towards the water.  He let out a yell of excitement as he started his battle with whatever was on the line.  The entire crew’s attention was on their captain as he fought with the sea creature, even Usopp whose grip on his own pole had grown lax in shock.

 

Luffy got to his feet as he struggled with the weight of what was caught on the line, his body bending backwards as he tried to pull the line above water.  Finally, after what seemed like a long struggle, the body of a large deep blue fish breached the water’s surface as the dark-haired boy yanked it over the rail and onto the deck.  The fish was massive, almost as long as Aries was tall, and flopped on the deck relentlessly; it’s body thudding against the solid wood planks.

 

Everyone simply stared at the fish in a stunned silence.  Nami was the first one to speak, turning to the sniper, “So did you catch anything?”

 

Usopp let out a garbled cry as he rushed back to his pole.  When he finally got his hook reeled all the way in, he found that the bait was untouched with no sign of any nibbles at all.  He hung his head in defeat.

 

Luffy cheered, bouncing from one foot to the other, while Sanji examined the fish with an appraising eye.

 

“This fish will make some really great dishes,” Sanji said around his cigarette, rubbing his chin in thought.  “I should go ahead and start cleaning it for dinner tonight.”  He grabbed the fish by its tail and dragged it into the kitchen.

 

Usopp shook his head, his curls bouncing wildly at the motion, and made his way over to Aries, who was laughing at Luffy.  He held out his hand, an easy smile on his lips.

 

“I guess you really do know what you’re talking about when it comes to fishing.  Your dad must have been a great teacher,” he said.

 

She gave him a grin and shook his hand, “He was.”

 

“I GOT IT!” Luffy suddenly shouted, throwing his hands into the air.

 

Everyone around him jumped slightly at the sound, turning towards the captain with wide eyes.

 

“What do you got, Luffy?” Usopp asked.

 

“Shishishishi,” he laughed, bouncing over to Aries, “I know what Aries’ position is gonna be!”

 

Aries tilted her head back slightly in order to look the rubber man in the eye as she fought off the heat that was warming her cheeks.  He slapped his hands onto her shoulders, his grin wide and toothy.

 

“You’re gonna be our fisherman!” he exclaimed, his gaze locked on hers.

 

The sheep girl blinked dumbly a time or two, letting his words sink in.  Once the initial shock wore off, she couldn’t stop herself from returning his smile just as brightly.

 

“Of course, Captain. I will gladly be our crew’s fisherman.”

 

Luffy, once again, laughed through his teeth, then dashed towards the kitchen.  “Sanji!  We gotta celebrate tonight!  So make sure you cook a lot of meat!”

 

“And booze!” Zoro chimed in from his spot leaning against the mast as he also made his way to the kitchen.

 

Nami stood from her chair, and held her hand out in front of Aries, “Just so ya know, meal time gets a little crazy with this crew.  Make sure Luffy doesn’t eat all of your food, okay?”

 

The blonde placed her hand in Nami’s and responded, “I think I hold my own.  Or at least I can try.”

 

Nami and Usopp chuckled, then proceeded to drag their newest addition into the already rowdy kitchen for her first meal aboard the Going Merry.


	10. Chapter Ten

** Chapter Ten **

** The Island that Birthed an Era **

 

Aries awoke early in the morning, as she usually did, rolling over in the bed to face Nami, who was still sleeping next to her.  The orange haired girl had the comforter bunched up in her fists and had the material tucked under her chin.  The sheep girl smiled at her companion before quietly exiting the room.  She lifts the hatch that concealed the entrance to the girls’ room, stopping in the bathroom to splash some water on her face, and bounced out to the open deck.

 

She couldn’t suppress the grin that tugged at her lips at the sight of the almost cloudless sky.  She walked over to the white railing, leaning her body heavily against the smooth wood, watching the waves lap against the sides of the ship.  She allowed her gaze to scan the horizon for anything interesting in the distance as she propped her elbows up and rested her face against her right palm.

 

 _I can’t believe it's been a week since I joined this crazy pirate crew_ , she thought to herself with a smile.  Minutes ticked by slowly, the only sound was the wind playing with Nami’s tangerine trees, the occasional squawk of a gull, and the gentle smack of water against the Going Merry’s hull.  Her attention was yanked away from the peacefulness of the sea when the hatch that lead to the boys’ room opened with a squeak.

 

“Good morning, Aries-hime.  You look lovely this morning,” Sanji greeted, his first cigarette of the day already lit between his lips. 

 

Aries couldn’t help but flush in embarrassment as she looked down at her apparel.  She was dressed in a pink shirt that had ridden up to expose her mid-section, that was still covered by white bandages, and a pair of grey cotton shorts that were a little too short for her liking, but she was still borrowing clothes from Nami until they reached the next island.

 

The sheep girl gave the cook a shy smile, pulling her shirt back down, before offering to help with preparing breakfast.  He accepted her help, letting her lead the way to the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

 

Once the morning meal was over, the crew moved on to do their own things for the remainder of the day.  Usopp was on the back deck making new ammunition, Nami was with him reading her newspaper.  Sanji was in the kitchen, while Zoro napped in the Crow’s Nest.  Aries and Luffy had decided to spend their afternoon fishing for dinner.  The pair sat on the railing, eyes on their floats, while they talked about nothing in particular.

 

Suddenly, Zoro’s voice called out from the Crow’s Nest, “Hey, I see an island up ahead.”

 

Luffy leapt from the railing, thrust his fishing rod into Aries’ hand, and rushed to his special seat, cheering the whole way.  Usopp was quick to follow the captain with Nami walking calmly behind him.

 

Aries floundered with the rods in a flustered manner before she got a better grip on them.  With her hands full of the equipment, climbing over the railing was impossible, so she settled for turning her body to face the others, her wide blue eyes locking on the island just becoming visible on the edge of the horizon.

 

Nami folded her arms and rested them on the railing as she spoke to the group, “That island is proof that we’re close to the Grand Line!  On that island, there’s a famous town called ‘Loguetown.’  It’s also known as the town of the beginning and the end.  It’s the birthplace of the Pirate King Roger… as well as his execution spot.”

 

“So that’s the town that the Pirate King died at…” Luffy said to himself, leaning forward on the figure head.

 

“Shall we go?” Nami asked.

 

“Yeah.” Luffy nodded, his face taking on a more serious expression.

 

* * *

 

 

“Whoa! What a big town!” Luffy shouted as he stared at the town’s entryway.  He raised his arms above his head as he cheered.

 

Sanji walked up behind the still cheering rubber-boy, “So the Pirate Age all began from here, eh?”

 

Aries looked around the area in amazement as she stood in between Usopp and Nami.  “There are so many people here!”

 

“Ok then!  I’m gonna go see the execution stand!” the captain said as he bounded down the road.

 

Sanji turned to look at one of the side roads and said, “Seems like I can get some good ingredients and food here.”

 

Usopp nodded in agreement, “I’m going to go look for some equipment to buy.  Do you need any more fishing gear, Aries?”

 

He turned to look at the sheep girl who was still staring at the moving crowd in a daze.  He frowned slightly and gently poked her in the arm.  His frown got a little deeper when he saw her visibly flinch and move away from him.  When she turned to face him, she offered him a shy smile, her hand raising to cover the spot where he had poked her.

 

“I’m sorry, you asked me something, Usopp?” she replied, trying to push away the small jolt of fear that had rushed down her spine.

 

“Do you need any new fishing gear?  I can pick up some things while I am looking for myself.” he answered, his frown still tugging at his lips.

 

“I think I’m okay with everything.  Thank you for asking, Usopp,” the blonde smiled at the sniper, the tension in her expression disappearing as she relaxed.

 

Usopp nodded and walked off in a different direction than both Luffy and Sanji.  When Aries turned to look for the other members of the crew, she noticed that Zoro had also left at some point, leaving her with Nami.  The orange haired girl placed her hands on her hips and stared at her newest crew mate.

 

“Well, let’s go,” she said.

 

Aries blinked in confusion.  “Go where?”

 

Nami rolled her eyes and pointed to the bandages that covered her mid-section.  “I told you that I’m not a doctor.  We need to get you looked at before we get to the Grand Line.  So, we are going to get you a checkup.”

 

* * *

 

 

“So what seems to be the problem, Miss?” asked an elderly-looking man as he entered the examination room the girls had been told to wait in.  He had a large, bulbous nose that held up his thick-rimmed glasses.  His grey hair was wispy and thin and was styled in an obvious combover.   However, a warm, inviting smile graced his thin lips, tugging his wrinkly skin upwards.

 

Nami placed her hand on Aries’ exposed shoulder and leaned forward, her eyes glistening with tears.  “My sister was attacked by pirates on the last island we visited.  I got her out of there and treated her as best as I could, but I’m no doctor,” she paused, placing a hand over her mouth as if to stifle a sob, “I did my best, but I have to make sure that she is okay.”

 

The doctor looked at Nami, then at Aries, before nodding absentmindedly.  “Devil Fruit users are often targeted by pirate crews, so the fact that you were attacked isn’t shocking.”

 

Aries straightened up, her eyes wide in alarm.  “How did you know I have Devil Fruit powers?” she asked, her voice laced with apprehension.  Her blue eyes watched the doctor’s face for any sign of ill-intent as her hand inched up to grip Nami’s that was still on her shoulder.

 

The doctor smiled and tapped one finger against the side of his head.  “I only assumed that you weren’t born with those horns.”

 

The blonde’s hands flew to cover the rough bone horns that spiraled out from her skull.  Her face flushed in embarrassment; her chin tucked down into her chest.  She only flushed more when she heard the old man’s gentle chuckle.

 

“Let’s see these injuries, hm?” he said, tugging on his latex gloves.

 

He started with the small scrapes along her cheekbone, nose, and her busted lip.  He then moved down to her scabbed over knuckles before looking at her knees and the bottoms of her feet.  Once he was satisfied with the way the small wounds had healed, he gestured to the large gauze bandage that wrapped around her mid-section.

 

“I take it that this was the worst injury?” he asked.

 

Aries nodded silently as Nami elaborated, “I stitched it once, but they ripped as we were running away so I had to do them over again.”

 

He nodded in understanding as he rolled his stool over to cabinets in the corner of the room.  He pulled out a pair of medical scissors and a roll of fresh gauze.  “Have the stitches been removed?”

 

“No/Yes,” Nami and Aries said at the same time.  The orange haired girl whipped her head around to look at the younger girl in disbelief.  Aries shrugged sheepishly.  “They itched, so I pulled them out while I was in the shower.”

 

Nami opened her mouth to chastise her, but the doctor interrupted. “How long have they been out?”

 

“A few days.  I kept the bandage on to keep the cut clean.”

 

He nodded again, rolling right up next to the table.  “Lean back please.  I need to cut off the bandage and really look at the laceration.”

 

Aries did as she was told, her eyes locked on the ceiling.  She felt the cold steel of the scissors as he snipped the gauze away.  The sudden chill sent a shiver up her spine.  The bandage fell away, revealing the almost completely healed wound.

 

The doctor ran a gloved finger over the raised pink skin, inspecting the damage and the healing process.  He let out a small hum as he poked and prodded, testing if the area was still sensitive to pain.  When Aries didn’t show any obvious signs of the injury still hurting, he rolled his stool back towards the cabinets.

 

“The knife that cut you must have been a sharp one.  The skin was cut cleanly, no tearing, which is a good thing.  All of your injuries are almost healed completely.  I don’t think that cut will leave much of a scar either.  Your body healed remarkably well,” he said.

 

Aries smiled, rubbing one of her own fingers around the small scabs on her opposite hand’s knuckles.  “Yeah, the cook on the ship was very adamant that I ate a lot of iron packed foods.”

 

He nodded again, rolling back over with a tube of something in his hand.  “Smart man.”  He smiled at both girls and handed over the tube.  “This is a medicine that should be applied to the cut before bed, preferably after a shower.  Just to make sure you don’t get an infection.  Let me just apply some really quick and put another bandage on.  You can probably stop start leaving it uncovered in a few more days”

 

Aries took the tube out of his hand gently once he was finished dressing her side, returning his smile.  She and Nami stood to leave, but stopped when the doctor called to them.

 

“You best tell your captain that he needs to recruit a doctor to your pirate crew if he knows what’s best.  Otherwise, you won’t make it very far into the Grand Line,” he shouted after them, a knowing grin on his lips.

 

Both girls flushed and rushed out of the office, nervous laughter falling from their mouths.  Aries looked over at Nami from the corner of her eye as they sprinted down the crowded street, spotting the cheeky smile on her face that she was sure matched her own.  The pair quickly darted into an alleyway, checking both ways for Marines.  When they didn’t spot any, they allowed themselves to fall back against the stone walls and let out their bottled-up laughter.

 

Aries examined the tube of medicine in her hand, her smile falling slightly.  Nami seemed to notice the change in her friend’s mood, but stayed silent, waiting for her to be the one to open up.

 

The sheep girl turned to stare at the sliver of cloudy sky above. “Is this what having a sister feels like?” she said softly, mostly to herself.

 

Nami fondly touched the gold bangle that hung from her wrist.  “Yeah, it is,” she responded, also casting her gaze upwards.

 

Aries leaned her head back to lean against the cool stone and returned her stare to the navigator.  “Do you have siblings, Nami?”

 

“An older sister, Nojiko.  She is back in my hometown taking care of our mother’s tangerine orchid.” she answered, resting her back against the wall, crossing her ankles.

 

The younger girl hummed in acknowledgement.  She rubbed her thumb against the medicine tube, her fleece gloves almost too warm against her palms.  “So what are your plans?  For while we are here on the island,” she asked, getting to her feet and sliding the tube into her shorts pocket.

 

“Well, both of us need new clothes, so I thought that we could go shopping together.”  The orange haired girl said simply, pushing off the wall and reaching out towards her companion.

 

Aries smiled at her, placing her hand in hers.  “You know I don’t have any money to pay for anything, right?”

 

Nami gave a visible wince, but relaxed her tense shoulders quickly.  “Then just think of it as a welcome present.  But it won’t happen again.”  She pointed at Aries’ face, her finger almost touching the shorter girl’s nose, and a sly smirk painted on her lips.

 

* * *

 

 

Aries stood in a small dressing room, tugging on a light blue sundress that Nami had all but thrown at her.  “I don’t think I need something like this,” the sheep girl said with a slightly raised voice, so Nami could hear her in the next stall over.

 

“Non-sense.  Every girl needs a few dresses.”

 

Aries rolled her eyes, turning to appraise how the dress fit.  Smiling, she pulled it off, and hung it on the keep hook.  “If you say so.”

 

The blonde girl ended up trying on several pairs of shorts, numerous styles of tops, and even more dresses and skirts at Nami’s insistence.  She even added pajamas and several pairs of underwear and bras.

 

The navigator entered the tiny stall, gathered all of the clothes that Aries wanted, and hauled them up to the counter.  “Now go get shoes.  Several pairs.  A girl can never have too many shoes.”

 

Aries laughed into her hand and did as she was told.  Once Nami was happy with her selection, she bought everything.  The woman behind the counter loaded all of the items into 2 large sack-like bags.  Each girl took one and made their way outside, shouting their thanks to the attendants as they left.  The pair started walking down the main thoroughfare, heading towards the city square, when Nami spoke up.

 

“I need to get a few things for myself.  Do you need anything?  Or would you like to come with me?”

 

The blonde shifted the bag in grip, resting it a little farther up on her shoulder.  She frowned as the bag settled oddly against the wool spool that was still tied around her back.  “I think I need to find a bag or something to keep my wool in.  I don’t think walking around with my only weapon exposed is gonna be a good idea in the Grand Line.  Might as well look for more wool while I’m at it.”

 

Nami nodded and pointed down one of the side streets.  “Well, I am heading this way.  Don’t forget that we need to meet up at the Execution Stand in a few hours.  The air pressure is changing which means a storm is approaching.  I would really like to leave before it gets here.”

 

“Right,” Aries nodded, giving her friend a little wave before heading off down a different side street.

 

* * *

 

 

About a minute into her walk, Aries saw a cloth store a few shops in front of her.  The sign above the door was brightly colored with large letters that she couldn't make out, but she did recognize the image of an oversized spool of thread.

 

The teen shuffled forward towards the shop in a haste, eager to see what it offered.

 

She pushed open the door, a bell jingling above the threshold, and stepped into the cluttered interior.  The sight of rows and rows of fabric of all kinds.  Some glittered in the light; others caught her eye with their dazzling patterns.  She walked forward down the aisle directly in front of her and allowed her fingers to trail across the soft cloth.  She stopped at the end of the aisle, looking around the back wall for any sign of wool.

 

“Need help finding anything?”  A voice asked directly next to her ear from behind her.  Aries jumped in fright, whipping around to face the person that had invaded her personal space, and in the process, bumped into a barrel of material.

 

There, standing inches from where she had been, stood a boy about her age.  He was a few inches taller than her with shiny black hair styled in a low ponytail and dull brown eyes.  He was wearing a green button-up shirt covered by a navy suit vest with matching dress pants.  He reminded her of Sanji in a way.

 

“Do you need any help?” he asked again, one of his thin eyebrows arching.

 

Aries started to stutter, her words lost amongst her surprise.  She finally pointed to the roll of wool tied to her back, and choked out the words, “I need more.”

 

He eyed the white fleece, still with his eyebrow raised, before walking away down another aisle.  “The wool and fleece are on aisle 6.”

 

She nodded, muttering a thank you, mostly to herself seeing as the boy had disappeared through a doorway behind the counter.

 

She weaved through the aisles until she found Aisle 6 and stopped in front of a rack of different colored fleece.  She ran her fingers over the plush wool, her fingerless gloves fluttered against her skin as her abilities reacted with the material before her.  Trying to contain her grin, she scooped up two rolls of the fleece into her arms, and started to make her way to the counter.

 

The boy from before emerged from the back room and met her at the register.  He arched an eyebrow at her as she eagerly placed the fabric roll on the counter.  He rolled his eyes then began to punch some buttons on the register.  “Okay, that will be 100 beli,” he said blandly with a hand outstretched.

 

Aries looked at him with a confused expression for a moment before she began to pat her pockets blindly.  A cold chill of panic crept up her spine as she cursed mentally.

 

_Nami forgot to give me money.  Shit._

A nervous laugh followed by a quick bleat escaped her throat.  She forced a smile on her face, well aware that her feelings were obvious to everyone.

 

“I-I guess I left my wallet with my friend,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. 

 

The boy took the rolls of fleece off of the counter and placed them somewhere out of sight.  “No money, no product,” he said in a dull tone.

 

Aries sighed, resigned that she would have to go find one of her crewmates to borrow some money.  As she walked towards the door, a frantic woman with a bundle of clothes in her arms burst in.

 

“Hiro!  Please tell me your mother’s hand has healed!  I need her magic fingers to repair these!  They are irreplaceable!” she squawked.  She dumped the wad on the countertop, the desperate expression on her face was borderline painful.

 

The boy behind the counter, Hiro she now knew he was called, paled and stepped back from the divider that separated him from the practically hysterical woman.  “I-I’m sorry, ma’am, but my mother is still unable to return to sewing.  It is going to be another few weeks until she is healed completely.  My deepest apologies.”

 

The woman let out a sob-like sound, her forehead landing on the wooden surface with a loud thud.  “This can’t be!  My first grandchild is going to be born any day now and I promised my daughter that my grandmother’s quilt would be ready for the nursery when they brought her home.”  The woman continued to make choked sobbing sounds as she hit her fist against the surface by her head.

 

Aries noticed that Hiro was awkwardly backing away from the distressed woman with a panicked look in his eyes.  He cast her a helpless glance before, once again, disappearing through the door behind the counter.

 

“Um… Ma’am?” the sheep girl asked in a quiet voice as she carefully approached the lady’s shivering form.  “What is the quilt made of?  I might be able to help some.”

 

The woman shot up to a standing position and bolted towards the teen with frightening speed.  She grasped Aries’ fleece covered hands in her own, her eye makeup running down her face.

 

“Really?  You can help me?  Are you a tailor as well?”

 

“Um.. not really.  But if your quilt is made of sheep’s wool, I can repair it for you.”

 

The woman released her hands and sighed sadly.  “The quilt is made of very old cotton fabric.  So sadly, I don’t think you can help.”

 

Aries frowned and touched the woman’s shoulder.  “Can I at least take a look?”

 

The woman gave a reluctant nod as she shook the blanket out to cover a large portion of the floor.  The majority of the fabric was a pastel yellow that was littered with hand-stitched multi-colored flowers in varying sizes.  Aries spotted several holes in the panels that looked like a moth, or another bug, had eaten at it.

 

The teen girl ran her fingers over the holes, and squinted her eyes in thought.  She walked briskly to the wool and fleece aisle, letting her powers pull palm sized balls from rolls of purple and pink dyed wool.  She rushed back to the spread-out quilt, started gently pulling small balls of the colored wool off of the source ball, and placed them carefully in the holes.  Once all the holes had appropriately sized wool inside, she knelt on the floor and rested both hands against the edge of the blanket.

 

She closed her eyes, picturing the delicate hand-stitched flowers that decorated the fabric.  A wave of warmth rushed down the back of her neck and to her fingers as she imagined the balls of wool blooming like petals.  She pictured how tendrils of wool would sew the holes closed as they formed larger and brighter flowers.

 

A pair of loud gasps sounded from somewhere behind her, and, as the warmth in her hands faded, she opened her eyes.  The holes in the quilt had been covered and repaired by new bright flowers, just as she had seen in her mind.  She looked over her shoulder at the woman and Hiro, who were watching with slack jaws, and offered them a wide grin.

 

“There!  I’d say it's ready for the baby’s room now.” she said warmly, slowly getting to her feet.  She was startled when the older woman roughly pulled her into a tight hug.  Aries laughed nervously and patted her back as the woman muttered countless thanks to her.

 

The woman pulled away, fumbling with her purse, and said, “How much do I owe you, young lady?”

 

“Oh no!  No, no, no, no, you don’t owe me anything!  If anything, you owe Hiro for the wool that I used!” Aries answered frantically.

 

The woman glanced at Hiro, nodded with a frown, and continued to insist, “But you’ve helped me with something so important.  I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t pay you something.”

 

Aries went to open her mouth to object once again, but Hiro’s dull voice interrupted her.  “She was trying to buy some material when she realized that she forgot her wallet.  You can pay her back by buying that for her.”

 

The woman didn’t hesitate in handing over the money for Aries’ two spools of wool and for the few pieces of wool she used for the quilt.  She kissed Aries on the cheek before rushing out the door with the repaired quilt bundled up carefully in a bag.

 

The sheep girl stood in place, stunned, for a few moments before the sound of Hiro clearing his throat next to her snapped her out of her daze.  She looked at the boy, prepared to be run out of the store for good.  Instead, he held out a leather over-the-shoulder bag wordlessly.  Aries took it from his outstretched hand carefully, a confused expression on her face.

 

“It’s a thank you gift from me and my mother.  My mother broke her hand weeks ago and felt bad about not being able to help that woman.  She has been in here at least three times a week since my mother’s accident.  So just accept it.”

 

The blonde nodded and examined the bag.  It was made of a soft brown leather that looked worn and old, but well cared for.  There was even a cluster of small stars in the left bottom corner of the front flap.  She traced them with a fingertip and smiled at him.

 

“Thank you, Hiro!” she chirped.  She walked up to the counter and placed her wool spool next to her new ones.  She held her hands over them, watching them ripple and shift to form two blocks of fabric about the size and weight of a thick photo album.  She placed them into her new bag, thanked Hiro again, and rushed out the door and back onto the street.

 

Aries walked down the road, heading towards the town’s center, when she noticed that the sky was turning gray.

 

“The air is starting to feel kinda heavy.  Nami wasn’t kidding when she said a storm was coming,” she murmured to herself.

 

When the sight of the road opening up into the town square came into view, the sheep began to jog towards it.  She skidded to a halt just before running smack into Zoro’s back.  He glanced at her over his shoulder, gave her a short nod, and continued walking forward.  Aries moved to walk beside him, her steps wider to match his long gait and her eyes scanning the crowd for their friends.

 

“Hm?” she heard Zoro hum as he came to a stop at an intersection.  She turned her eyes forward and saw Nami with the large sack of clothes on her back and Usopp and Sanji carrying an overly large fish.

 

“Ah.” Nami said simply, glancing between the two approaching pairs.

 

“Oh!” she chirped, smiling at the sight of her friends.

 

“Hey,” Usopp chimed in, leaning to the left slightly to see around the long ears of the fish that was perched on his shoulder.

 

“So, where is he?” Zoro asked in a bored tone.

 

“He said he wanted to check out the execution stand…” Nami replied, trailing off at the end of her statement.

 

“Isn’t the execution stand right here in the town square?” Usopp questioned, looking around the immediate area.

 

“He hasn’t gotten himself into any trouble, has he?” Aries asked, wringing her hands in front of her.

 

The blonde girl stood on her toes and scanned the crowd around them for her rambunctious captain.  When she failed to spot his signature straw hat anywhere nearby, she noticed that everyone was facing the same way.  “What is everyone looking at?” she wondered out loud, loud enough for the others to hear and turn their attention to the crowd as well.

 

A moment of silence fell over the group as they all followed the crowd’s sight line to the top of the execution stand where Luffy was trapped under a stock.

 

“WHA!” Usopp screamed.  Beside him, Sanji grit his teeth, grinding his cigarette accidently between his molars.

 

Aries gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, while Nami sighed heavily, her head dipped low.

 

Zoro took a step back in shock, his face a mixture of confusion and anger.

 

“WHY THE HELL IS HE ON THE EXECUTION STAND!?”


	11. Chapter Eleven

** Chapter 11 **

** Luck like Lightning **

 

“For the crime of angering **_me_** , I sentence you, Monkey D. Luffy, to a FLASHY EXECUTION!” a nasally voice shouted out loudly over the crowd.  A tall man dressed in red and white with strange face paint and a large red nose stood above Luffy, saber in hand.

 

As he shouted, the men below the execution stand that were dressed up like circus members started to riot.  They started shooting guns into the air and cheered loudly.

 

Nami took a step back, “Of course, we had to run into Buggy of all people.”  She turned to look at Usopp and Sanji.  “Usopp, you and I need to get back to the ship.  Let Sanji and Zoro take care of this.”

 

The three boys nodded and Sanji released his hold on the large fish.  Nami then turned to Aries, “Aries?  Do you want to come with us, or stay and fight?”

 

The blonde girl never let her eyes leave the sight of her captain trapped on the stand.  “I am gonna stay to help Luffy.”

 

Nami nodded in understanding.  “Usopp!  Let’s head back to the Merry!”

 

“Right!” he responded quickly.  The pair then started to run down the main street towards the pier.

 

Sanji started to make his way into the crowd when another shout from the stand caused him to pause.

 

“Your flashy execution, shall be carried out for the whole public to see!” Buggy shouted to the crowd.  Once again, his subordinates went wild; their cheers and shouts drowning out Luffy’s response.

 

“As if I’d just let you go, you idiot!”

 

Zoro and Sanji started to push through the crowd, muttering to themselves.  Aries followed closely behind them.  _Why isn’t he fighting back?  He should be able to bust out of there easily, right?  What is he thinking?_

 

“Any last words?”  The clown man’s annoying voice echoed over the sounds of the people, “Might as well make the most out of this large crowd.”

 

There was a brief pause that caused Aries’ heart to skip a beat with panic.  She began to shove the onlookers with a little more force, desperation to reach her captain setting in.

 

“Well, whatever. Whether you have any last words or not, it ain’t like anybody will care for what you have to sa-”

 

Buggy was cut off by a loud, sudden shout from Luffy, “I AM THE MAN WHO’LL BECOME **_KING OF THE PIRATES_**!”

 

The crowd collectively gasped at the words Luffy had yelled; his declaration resonated a little too closely to the square’s history for many of them.  Aries stopped in her tracks and stared up at the normally goofy boy.  She watched Buggy raise the saber over his head again, and watched Luffy tense for the blow.

 

She couldn’t stop the shout that escaped her throat, “WAIT!”  Her shrill scream cut through the heavy air like a knife, stilling all movement in the area for a brief moment.  The sudden noise of her scream caused the people in the crowd to move away from the three of them, creating a decent ring around them.

 

Luffy’s head snapped up at the sound of her voice, his eyes brightening vividly.  “Aries! Sanji! Zoro! Help me out here!” he shouted, nervousness obvious in his tone.

 

The clown pirate recovered from his shock from Aries’ shout, and re-positioned himself over the rubber-boy’s body.  “So you’ve come, Zoro? But it seems you’re too late…!”

 

“We’ve got to bring that execution stand down!” Zoro said as he put one of his swords between his teeth.

 

“I know!” retorted Sanji as he took off in a sprint into the now parted crowd.

 

“Right!” Aries answered, following closely behind the boys.  While she ran, she compressed her wool fingerless gloves, hardening them until they took on a slight silver sheen.  She knocked her knuckles together resulting in a satisfying clang.

 

“Take care of them, boys!” a feminine voice called out over the noise of the crowd.

 

“As you command, Lady Alvida!” the pirate lackeys cheered, launching themselves at the three Straw-Hat pirates.

 

Aries aimed her blows as best she could while still trying to keep pace with Sanji and Zoro.  She landed several hits to some jaws and torsos, but decided her hand-to-hand combat wasn’t suited for running and fighting.  She stuck one hand into her new saddle-bag, pinching one of her bundles of wool.  She pulled out a thick, long strand, and wrapped one end around her right hand.

 

She whipped it around, slapping her opponents in the face with the hardened tip or wrapping the end of the whip around one of their extremities and yanking them down to use as a step stool.

 

“MOVE IT!” Zoro yelled from around the sword hilt clenched in his teeth.  Sanji continued to kick down opponents, but the onslaught seemed endless.

 

Aries stumbled as one of the clown pirates landed a blow to the back of her head.  Her vision blurred at the edges, the pain throbbing behind her eyes.  She bared her teeth in a ferocious snarl, grabbed the guy by the neck, kneed him in the nose, and slammed his face into the cobblestone pavement.  The skin around her horns began to itch as hot bubbles of rage burst in her chest.

 

The pirates around her stared at their comrade, who was now unconscious on the ground, and backed away from her as she glared at them.

 

_Fuck taking out the stand.  It would be better to just take out the threat.  I’m gonna teach this clown freak not to mess with the Straw Hats._

 

She dashed forward, pushing her enemies aside, rushing towards the execution stand, but skid to a stop when she saw Buggy, once again, raise the saber sword above his head.

 

“GYAHAHAHAHA!  Just watch carefully from there!  Witness the last moments of your captain!” he screeched, his manic glee very apparent in the tone of his voice.

 

The young blonde’s eyes were locked on Luffy’s struggling form.  She barely registered Sanji’s curse or Zoro’s taunt.  She watched her captain take a deep breath and tilt his head so that his eyes were covered by the brim of his signature straw hat.

 

“Zoro!” he shouted, his voice carried by the sudden whipping winds, “Sanji!  Usopp!  Nami!  Aries!”

 

He lifted his head, his mouth stretched into his usual toothy grin.  Aries felt as if someone dumped a bucket of ice over her body as a chill swept through her bloodstream.

 

“Sorry, but it looks like I’m dead.” he finished, grinning as Buggy swung his blade downward towards his exposed neck.

 

She heard both Zoro and Sanji shout at him, whether in shock or anger, she couldn’t tell.  A hot pain burned behind her eyes as well as around her horns as she fought off not only tears but the natural instinct to look away.  She opened her mouth to shout at him, but her voice was unable to get out around the tight feeling in her throat.

 

A rush of static danced over her skin, causing her hair to stand on end.  Before the sheep girl could register the feeling, a bright flash of light blinded her, followed by a deafening boom.  With a panicked bleat, Aries covered her head with her arms as the execution stand in front of her erupted into flames.  Cold raindrops fell on her head; the sound of them hitting the stone street was the only thing heard in the silence of the square.  She lowered her arms hesitantly, and saw the charred remains of the wooden stand that were still smoldering in the light rain.  In front of what was left of the infamous execution stand laid Buggy, burnt to a crisp and unconscious.

 

Luffy’s prized straw hat floated down, landing in a puddle just behind Buggy.  Aries stared at the hat, a sharp feeling of dread settling in her stomach, until she saw familiar sandaled feet step up to it.

 

The young captain bent at the waist to swiftly remove the hat from the puddle and placed it back on his head with his usual grin.  He let out a loud laugh, leaving his hand with a grip on the hat.

 

“Looks like I did survive!  How lucky!”  he chuckled, finally opening his eyes to look over the crowd in front of him.

 

A wave of relief consumed Aries’ entire body so forcefully that it brought her to her knees.  She sat on the cold, wet cobblestone pavement and stared at Luffy in amazement.  She tilted her head back, eyes closed as the rain gently pelted her face, and slowly released the breath that she didn’t even realize she was holding.

 

“You okay, Aries?” he asked, stepping over Buggy.  He walked up to her and held out a hand to help her back to feet.

 

The sheep girl opened her eyes, smiled, and accept his outstretched hand.  “Yeah, you just scared me there for a second.”

 

He laughed through his teeth again, “Shihehehehe!  Sorry!”  He pulled her upright just as Sanji and Zoro approached.

 

“Hey,” Sanji turned his head toward Zoro, his lips barely holding on to his ruined cigarette, “do you believe in God?”

 

Zoro shook his head in response, sheathing his swords as he walked, “Enough talking.  We have to leave now.  Trouble is headed this way.”

 

“Trouble?” questioned Aries, “You mean the Marines?”

 

As if her words had summoned them, numerous Marine foot soldiers charged into the square.  “Block all exits!  Corner the pirates!  Don’t let them escape!”

 

The group of teens jumped, and quickly turned to run.

 

“Guess they finally showed up!” Sanji shouted into the wind.

“Shut up and run, you stupid cook!” Zoro yelled back, trying to pick up some speed.

 

“Which way is the Merry?” Aries asked, grabbing onto the swordsman's shirt as he tried to turn down a dead-end alleyway.

 

Luffy just chuckled again, running at the back of the pack, his hand pressing his hat against his head as the wind picked up.

 

“The wind is getting worse!  Nami was right, this storm is gonna be a big one!”  Aries shouted, trying to shield her eyes from the now harsh rain.

 

“Jeez!  These guys are so persistent!” Luffy called, looking back at the horde of soldiers following them and pointing at them over his shoulder with his thumb.  “Should we just stop and fight them?”

 

“No point in doing that.  There’s too many of them.” Sanji answered from the front of the group.  “Plus, Nami told us to hurry back to the Merry.”

 

The sheep girl noticed a lone figure standing in the center of the road, seemingly to block their path.  The person had a long, sheathed sword at her hip.  They raised an arm and pointed at them.

 

“Roronoa Zoro!”

 

The shout of Zoro’s name rang out over the sounds of the whipping wind.  The voice definitely belonged to a female, causing Sanji to let out a coo.

 

“Sergeant Major Tashigi!” The Marines behind them bellowed.

 

Sergeant Major?  Doesn’t that make this person a ranked officer?  This could be troubling. Aries thought to herself, frowning as the woman began to shout again.

 

“To think that you were Roronoa Zoro!  And a pirate at that, too!  You were just toying with me all along!” the newly identified Tashigi hollered.

 

“You bastard!  What did you do to that lady!?” Sanji growled, glaring at the green-haired man next to him.

 

“You toyed with her?  Zoro, we’ve only been on this island a few hours and you already have a crazy ex?” Aries jeered and tried to hide her smirk when the swordsman swiped at her with a flaming red face.

 

“Shut up!  I didn’t do anything!” he cried.  He shook his head, as if tried to shake away his embarrassment, and faced forward again.  “Never thought that you were a Marine…” he said, finally addressing the woman they were rapidly approaching.

 

“I shall take back that Wado Ichimonji!” she retorted, sliding her hands to the hilt of her blade.

 

A large smirk pulled at Zoro’s lips as he did the same.  “Just try it.”  He dashed forward, drawing one of his three blades with his right hand, and reached across his body with his left to grip the hilt of the white blade.  The clash of the steel blades clanged together with a sharp, piercing sound.

 

“Go on ahead.” he growled out to Luffy, as both blades slid along each other, fighting for purchase.

 

“Okay.” Luffy replied simply, running by without another word.

 

“Aren’t three swords a little excessive, Zoro?  Can you use all of those at once?” Aries questioned as she passed by.

 

“Just shut up and go!” the swordsman yelled as his opponent started rapidly swinging at him.

 

“You BRUTE!  You better not harm that lady!” Sanji yelled, flailing his arms wildly as both Aries and Luffy grabbed him.  Both of them began to drag him away from the scene.

 

“Let’s go!” shouted Luffy.

 

“To the Merry!” Aries cheered.


	12. Chapter Twelve

** Chapter Twelve **

****

** Onward to the Grand Line; Onward to Adventure **

 

Luffy, Sanji, and Aries continued to sprint down the slick roads, the sound of Zoro's sword fight lost to the gusting winds. The heavy rain pelted them, stinging their exposed skin.

 

"Someone's up ahead!" Luffy shouted, his head turned slightly to look over his shoulder at his two companions.

 

"Another marine?" Sanji asked.

 

"Hope not," Aries answered, shivering as the cold gusts of wind chilled her through her drenched clothes.

 

The closer they got to the person standing in their way, the clearer Aries could see him. He was a tall man with untamed white hair. He had sharp eyes and two large cigars trapped between his teeth. A heavy white coat lined with teal fur covered his muscular torso.

 

"So you've come, Straw Hat Luffy," the Marine said in a rough voice.

 

"Who're you?!" the young captain called back, an annoyed edge to his voice as the winds continued to pick up speed and force.

 

"The name's Smoker. I'm a Captain of the Marine Headquarters," he replied, seemingly at ease even though the trio of pirates was getting closer. He turned his body to face them fully and pulled his arms back, elbows pointed behind him, and the back of his hands almost touching his chest.

 

"And I won't allow you to set sail from here!" he yelled. As he thrust his arms forward, Aries watched in horror as his skin appeared to burst into plumes of smoke. Two thick white columns of smoke rushed towards Luffy, trapping him within their confines.

 

The rubber boy cried out in surprise as he struggled against the very resilient smoke.

 

"Dammit! He's got Devil Fruit powers too!" Aries shouted to Sanji as the cook ran at their new opponent with reckless abandon.

 

The blond leapt into the air and wound up a strong kick.

 

"Let go of my captain!" he roared as his kicked his leg out with a well placed strike to the Marine's face. He gasped as his leg phased through Smoker's body. "Wha!?"

 

"I don't have time for runts," he growled out around his cigars. One of the columns of smoke moved from around Luffy in order to knock the cook into a nearby building. "White Blow!"

 

"Sanji!" both Aries and Luffy exclaimed as the blond tumbled to the ground in a crumpled heap.

 

"Why you!" Aries heard Luffy hiss. He pulled one of his arms back, winding up to unleash his pistol attack.

 

Thinking quickly about avoiding a drawn-out battle with the Marines when they were running out of time, the sheep girl decided to step in before her captain could cause any more problems. She grabbed one of her wool bundles, gripped it in both hands, and flapped it out causing it to expand and billow outwards.

 

She dashed forward, gripping the material so tightly that she could feel her nails cut into her palm. She stopped in front of the Marine Captain, who loomed over her short stature. Suppressing a shudder, she threw one end of the wool sheet into the air.

 

"Wool net!" she yelled as the solid piece of fabric grew wide holes until it resembled a large fishing net.

 

The young girl jerked down on the net, hoping to trap Smoker long enough for them to escape to the Merry. A sudden blow to her gut, only inches from her still healing wound, not only stole her breath, but also caused her to let go of her wool weapon. The material immediately shrunk back down to its block size as soon as her hand fell away.

 

She looked down and saw the tip of a long jitte still pressed into the exposed skin of her abdomen. She fell to her knees, feeling drained, and lungs burning for air.

 

_This feeling… Must be a seastone weapon. Damn it. Interesting weapon choice for another Devil Fruit user._

 

"Aries!" She could hear Luffy yell, but couldn't answer through her rapid wheezing.

 

"Gum-Gum Pistol!"

 

The breeze created by the rubber man's swift punch ruffled her hair as it passed above her prone body. She could hear Smoker taunt him somewhere behind her, meaning he had moved away from her, but his actual words were lost to the wind.

 

"Are you alright?" a strong, deep voice enveloped her. A calloused, warm hand touched her shoulder, gently rolling her onto her back.

 

Aries opened her eyes to see a man with a red tattoo down the left side of his face kneeling over her. His black hooded cloaked whipped wildly in the harsh winds, but he seemed unaffected.

 

The man gripped her upper arms, pulling her to her feet. He steadied her as she fought to stay upright against the gale-force winds, her breaths still coming in wheezes. He took hold of both her wrists, placing one hand on her chest and the other on his.

 

"Breathe." he commanded, taking deep slow breaths, encouraging her to do the same.

 

She mimicked his breathing pattern until her lungs no longer burned and her intakes of air were not so desperate.

 

"Thank you," she croaked, her throat sore and raw from her deep gasps of the chilly air. She met his dark eyes with her own navy blue ones, finding something eerily familiar and borderline dangerous about him.

 

"Hmph, looks like your luck's come to an end!" Smoker's gravelly voice drifted along the wind's current, until it almost filled their space.

 

The sheep girl gasped and tried to push the tall man out of her way. "Luffy!" she fretted, her hands lost amongst the wildly flapping material of the intimidating man's cloak.

 

The man gently removed her hands from the cloth and, with quick even strides, marched over to her struggling friend, who was pinned to the ground underneath Smoker's physical body. The dark-clothed man grabbed the Marine's hand that had reached for the seastone jitte, stopping it mid-motion.

 

"Or perhaps not?"

 

There was a pause before Smoker's voice sounded over the wind, "You're…!"

 

Aries could only stand and stare as the Marine's next words echoed off the stone walls and were carried by the gales.

 

"The entire World Government is after your head, ya know!"

 

The cloaked man chuckled before responding, "The world awaits our answer!"

 

A strong gust of wind blew through the street, blowing marines and civilians alike off their feet and carrying them away.

 

"It's a gust!" one of the Marine's shouted.

 

The blonde crossed her arms in front of her face, wincing as her hair struck her skin in sharp lashes. She could feel the strength of the wind pushing her backwards, her feet sliding along the wet pavement. The cloaked man wrapped his arms around her form, protecting her from the harsh weather.

 

She stared up at his face, confused by his actions. "Who are you?"

 

He offered her a smirk, his eyes quickly flicking to the left as Zoro's voice called to them over the rushing winds. He ducked his head down, speaking softly into her ear. His words sent a shiver through her body, and as soon as he had finished speaking, he returned to standing straight.

 

"Hey! Let go of her!" Sanji shouted, running at them as Zoro dragged Luffy behind him.

 

The mystery man released her, allowing Sanji to literally sweep her off her feet as he ran past. The girl watched the man gesture to them, but his words were lost in a crack of thunder.

 

"I said move it!" shouted Zoro frantically, pushing himself to run faster.

 

"Is this the storm Nami-swan was talking about?" Sanji wondered aloud, keeping pace with the swordsman.

 

The group ran until the sounds of the choppy waves began to drown out the whistling winds.

 

"Luffy!" Usopp's nasally voice called out from aboard the Going Merry.

 

Zoro and Sanji leapt down off of the stone wall that separated the shore from the cityscape. As soon as he touched the slick soil, the cook set Aries back on her feet.

 

"Who was that guy?" he asked.

 

"No clue…" she muttered, the man's words repeating in her head.

 

_'Your captain is destined for big things.' I wonder what he meant by that._

 

"Hurry up!" the sniper shouted at them, his arms straining as he tugged on the rope that was keeping the Merry docked, "This rope won't hold for much longer!"

 

"Look at all this rain!" Luffy said, holding a hand out to catch the rapidly falling drops as he moved towards the caravel ship.

 

"Nami-swan, I'm baaaack!" Sanji cooed, wiggling as he danced after Luffy.

 

Zoro and Aries shared an exasperated glance, swiftly following their lead after a particularly strong gust of wind rocked the Merry.

 

"What took you guys so long! Hurry up and get on board! We're setting sail immediately!" Nami shouted frantically.

 

The crew scrambled onto and around the deck, preparing the Going Merry to set sail for the Grand Line. Zoro hoisted the anchor, Usopp and Aries unfurled the sails, Sanji steered the rudder under Nami's careful instruction, all while Luffy watched the choppy waves from his special seat on the ram figure-head.

 

* * *

 

 

Once the Merry was on its course, the crew gathered at the stern and watched the mountains of the Red Line grow larger in the distance.

 

"You see that light over there?" Nami asked Aries, pointing at the flickering light.

 

"You mean that lighthouse?" Aries responded, squinting to try and make out more detail of the building.

 

The navigator nodded, "It's known as the 'Light of Guidance.' The entrance to the Grand Line is just past that light."

 

Everyone silently watched the light go and come for a moment, before Nami continued, "So what shall we do?"

 

"D-Don't you guys think that entering the Grand Line in the middle of this storm is a bit…" Usopp said through chattering teeth as he clung desperately to the main mast, but was interrupted by Sanji.

 

"So we've reached the Grand Line, have we? Well, this calls for a celebration!" he said, setting a barrel of mead on the deck.

 

Everyone turned their attention to him as he lifted his left leg in the air and placed his heel on the lid.

 

"To find All Blue." he said with confidence.

 

Luffy followed suit, raising his left leg and placing it just to the right of Sanji, "To become the Pirate King!"

 

Aries looked on with a confused face as Zoro did the same, "To be the Greatest Swordsman."

 

"To draw a map of the world!" Nami joined in cheerfully, following suit.

 

Usopp flailed for a second before nervously placing his foot on the barrel as well, "T-To become a brave warrior of the seas!"

 

Five pairs of eyes locked on the sheep girl's form, giving her expectant stares.

 

"Wha?" she asked, the confused expression still painted on her face.

 

"Oh right! You probably don't know about this tradition!" Usopp said, waving his arms. "It's really simple. You just put your foot on the barrel, state your dream, and then we all smash it together!"

 

"My… dream?" she repeated softly.

 

The long-nosed boy nodded excitedly, "Yeah, your dream!" He paused when he noticed that Aries still hadn't moved from her spot. "You do have a dream, don't you?"

 

Her navy eyes glanced at her crewmates, and chewed on her bottom lip.

 

_My dream…_

 

She took small, nervous steps forward, and placed her heel tentatively on top of the wooden container.

 

"I guess, my dream is to have an unforgettable adventure," she said, her voice taking on a cheerful tone.

 

The group cheered together, all raising their legs up, and bringing them down, smashing the barrel beneath their feet. The rush of mead covered their shoes and splashed up Aries' bare legs.

 

"OFF TO THE GRAND LINE WE GO!" Luffy shouted, pumping both fists into the air.

 

Aries watched him quietly, lost in thought.

 

_I meant what I said. I do want to have an unforgettable adventure with this crew and enjoy my freedom… but that isn't my ultimate goal._

 

She turned her head, navy eyes locked on the familiar lighthouse that beckoned them to the most dangerous sea.

 

_I will find and end the man responsible for my captivity. Just you wait, Doflamingo. Because I am coming to stop you from doing this to any more innocent people._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand now you guys are caught up with everything I have so far! I will also be posting a collection of one-shots that accompany this story. They aren't necessary to read, but they do focus on Aries' friendships with her crewmates and other friends that are meet along the way.


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